Roommates
by Millemini
Summary: When Danielle kicks Annie out of the guest house she moves into a new apartment with Auggie.  As they get to know each other on a more personal level they realize that their feelings go beyond being best friendship and end up in a relationship.  COMPLETE
1. Auggie's plan

**This is my first attempt at writing a fanfic, just something that came to me after watching the Season 2 finale the other day. I hope it's not too OOC. I'm working on more chapters. Chapter 2 will probably be up tomorrow, after that I'll try to update at least once a week. I also have a couple of other stories in the works, but they're not in a state I'm happy with just yet.**

**Also, I'm Norwegian, English is not my 1st language and I don't have a beta reader, so I apologize for grammatical mistakes, bad spelling and other errors that might occur, although I have done my best to avoid it, using spell- and grammar check in Word and reading through it several times before publishing.**

**PLEASE REVIEW! Constructive criticism is always welcomed :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Covert Affairs. It belongs to the USA Network and Auggie and Annie belong to the awsome Christopher Gorham and Piper Perabo.**

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><p><strong><span>-Chapter 1: Auggie's plan-<span>**

After the baseball game was over Auggie and Annie was walking arm in arm towards her car. Auggie knew there was something wrong and that she was upset. She'd finally read her sister in and that it hadn't gone well. Danielle wanted her to move out of her guesthouse. Joan had pulled him aside the other day and asked him to be there for Annie, like he needed for Joan to tell him to support Annie. He just wished Annie would open up and let him be there, but for the time being she was just quiet and he could feel how tense she was. He stopped and turned to face her.

_"Annie, what's wrong? Is it Danielle?"_ he asked softly.

_"Nothing…"_ Her voice trembled slightly.

_"Liar,"_ he replied, firmly. _"Really, what's bothering you? I'm blind, not deaf and I know you pretty well by now."_

Annie sighed and took a deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts for a second before she responded. At the moment Auggie was the one person she could trust and go to for advice, and she kind of felt bad about dumping all of her personal issues at him. She missed sisterly advice from Danielle.

_"Danielle is serious about kicking me out. She has already packed up most of my stuff and she wants me out as soon as possible. I hate being there now, everything is so tense and I don't know what to do."_

_"Well, apartment hunting might an idea,"_ Auggie said teasingly, trying to lighten her mood. _"Have you started to look for a place?"_

_"Not really, I checked out a few online, but I haven't really tried yet, I really didn't expect it to come to this. I figured Danielle would be upset, but I didn't think she'd kick me out. And after she did I kind of expected her to change her mind and to come home one day and find my stuff unpacked again. I guess that's not happening. The whole apartment-hunting thing is a bit daunting; I don't know where to start. Sheesh, I don't even know where I want to live." _Annie's voice rose at the end of the sentence.

Auggie let go of her elbow and put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her reassuringly. _"We'll figure it out Annie, don't worry. I'm here for you."_

They started walking again and shortly after they reached Annies car and after they'd both setteled in their seats Annie started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. She'd gone quiet again.

A few minutes into the drive Auggie was the one who broke the silence.

_"Hey, why don't we go to my place? We can call for a pizza and I've got beer in the fridge, a bottle or three of Patron in the cupboard and we can use my laptop to search for potential apartments for you. I'm a great apartment hunter! What do you think?"_ What Annie didn't know was that Auggie already had a place in mind for her.

_"Thanks Aug. That sounds really nice, I really don't wanna go back to the guesthouse. It's so depressing with all the boxes and stuff, and I feel like Danielle is always in the kitchen, watching me like a hawk. You're the best Auggie!"_

Auggie flashed his signature smirk at her and simply responded, _"I know!"_

They rode the rest of the way to Auggie's place in silence.

* * *

><p>An hour later Annie was sitting comfortably on Auggie's couch, they'd finished the pizza and a couple of beers each. Auggie was thinking about how to make his next move. Ever since his landlord had mentioned that the large two-bedroom apartment with a private backyard on the ground floor was available an idea had formed in his head and he thought it would be perfect; he and Annie could share the place. The rent was too much for either of them to pay on their own, but what could be better than being roommates with your best friend? His brain was spinning, he'd put a lot of thought into this over the last few days and he'd arranged for them to see the place that same afternoon. Auggie discretely checked the time. He had just over half an hour to convince Annie to come with him downstairs to check out the place.<p>

_"Hey Annie, I want to talk to you about something,"_ Auggie started, still not really sure how to approach explaining his idea to Annie. _"I met my landlord in he hallway the other day and there's an apartment for rent here. It's a large two-bedroom on the ground floor with a small, private backyard."_

_"Really, here? In your building?"_ Annie sounded kind of excited, this encouraged Auggie. "_You want to be neighbors?"_

"_The thing is that if I could afford it I'd move down there on the spot. It might sound weird, but having grown up in a suburb with a huge yard, I kind of miss having a private outside space, parks are just not the same as snoozing in your own hammock ya' know."_

Annie chuckled; she couldn't really imagine Auggie snoozing in a hammock. She was also confused, if Auggie couldn't afford the place there was no way she could. Where was he going with this?

_"Well, if you can't afford it I'm sure I can't afford it either then, after all, you're __Head __of Tech Ops and you've been at the Agency way longer than me, so you've gotta be a quite a few pay grades above me."_ Annie cut in.

_"Well, I was thinking we could be roomies,"_ Auggie heard the words tumbling out of his mouth. _"We already spend a lot of time together anyway, sometimes I think you spend more of your time here than at your own place. You come here every morning to take me to work, and I usually catch a ride home with you as well, unless you're on a mission. If you lived here you'd save both time and gas."_ Auggie started feeling like a complete idiot from babbling away. Like that would win Annie over. "Damnit Anderson!" he thought to himself. "Where did your usual confidence go?" She didn't immediately respond, she was just silent. This was one of the few times he cursed his blindness, he would really like to see her face now. The silence was killing him and she didn't give him any clues to what her reaction was.

Annie didn't know what to say. Auggie turned his head in her direction, with a questioning look in his eyes. She was totally taken aback; his approach was so not like Auggie's usual act. He seemed nervous and not nearly as confident as he normally was. It did seem like something he'd put a lot of thought into, but the insecurity in his approach surprised her. Part of her wanted to scream "YES!" and start moving that second, but she had her reservations as well. Auggie was the closest friend she'd ever had, but lately she'd started hoping their relationship would eventually go beyond friendship. She didn't know how to tell Auggie, and she was scared that if he didn't share her feelings their friendship would be ruined. Now he wanted to be her roommate? She wasn't sure what to say. She needed to think this through.

Annie finally turned towards Auggie and grabbed his left hand.

_"Augs, I didn't expect this at all. You wanting be my roomie? At first glance it seems like a great idea, but what if we're the worst roomies ever? What if we're sick of each other within the first week? You're the best friend I've ever had and I don't wanna lose you as a friend. We know each other really well by now and we enjoy each other's company, but living together is a whole different scenario. Also, I'm nowhere near as tidy as you, you'd go crazy from tripping over my shoes and not finding stuff because I've put it in the wrong place within a week."_

Auggie wasn't really surprised that Annie had her reservations, he actually had some himself, but he was convinced that it would be great and that they'd be the best roommates ever. Just as Annie he had started having feelings beyond friendship, and he was also worried about ruining the best friendship he'd ever had if he tried to make a move. He was also fully aware that Annie didn't share his tidiness. Auggie had always been something of a neat freak, even before he lost his sight and being neat became a necessity. He liked that everything had its place; Annie on the other hand had a more relaxed approach to organizing her place. Whenever Auggie was over she'd always run in ahead of him, moving her shoes into a corner and clearing various pieces of clothing from the window seat. She usually had to search through at least a couple of handbags for her keys and her TV and DVD remotes were never in the same place. Somehow she managed to be more organized at work though.

_"Since you're leaving for a mission abroad tomorrow I've taken the liberty to arrange for a viewing of the apartment this afternoon. We're supposed to meet Mr. White downstairs in"_ Auggie checked the time, _"15 minutes. Please, will you at least take a look at the place before rejecting the idea?"_

_"Auggie, how long have you planned this? I don't really know if I should be pissed or happy right now. But, since you've set up this viewing I'll go with you."_

A grin spread across Auggies face, his confidence seemed to be growing back.

_"What is it Auggie? I haven't agreed to be your roomie yet; I want to see the place before deciding on anything. By the way, you never commented on my statement my lack of tidiness, I kind of expected one of your signature snarky comments," _Annie nudged him playfully with her elbow. Auggie chuckled.

_"Well Walker, I have been at your place several times without falling over your shoes or tripping over stuff you've left out, I don't think you're as bad as you think you are. Although your car is a pigsty; do you ever clean the inside?"_

_"How do you know that my car is a pigsty Augs? It's not like you've seen it." _Annie tried to sound like she was shocked and insulted that he'd even suggest that her car wasn't tidy and she was glad that Auggie couldn't see her blushing.

_"Well, I've noticed that you tend to just toss straw papers, napkins and stuff onto the floor behind the passenger seat. I've heard the rattle of empty Starbucks cups and soda cans as well. As I told you earlier this afternoon; I'm __blind__, not deaf and to clarify; that means that my ears works just fine, probably better than yours, but my eyes don't work." _Auggie tilted his head and smirked.

_"Auggie, you're incorrigible,"_ Annie huffed and punched him lightly on the upper arm with her fist. _"I bet your car was always spit shine, inside and out?"_

_"Spit shine might be taking it a bit to far, but I kept it clean, yes. Didn't think it deserved to be used as an oversized trash can," _he replied with a grin.

* * *

><p>10 minutes later they were making their way downstairs where they found Auggie's landlord standing in the hallway, waiting for them. Auggie introduced Annie as his friend, co-worker and roommate to be. Annie couldn't help smiling at Auggie's confidence. Mr. White unlocked the door, flipped on the light and stepped to the side, allowing Annie and Auggie to enter. "<em>You take your time and look around. I'll be back in about half an hour,"<em> he said and left.

When he heard Mr. White close the door behind him Auggie turned to Annie.

_"So, what do you think?"_ he said, clearly nervous about her reaction.

_"Sheesh Auggie, give me a minute, ok? We just walked in here two seconds ago."_

Annie looked around the large, open plan living room with a kitchen similar to the one in Auggies place upstairs in one end. The room was amazing. High ceilings and of windows that let in plenty of daylight; it was really nice.

_"Annie, I would appreciate a little bit of a description here, it's my first time here too and it's not like I can see it for myself."_ Auggie said while unfolding his cane, looking a bit lost.

_"Sorry Aug, just taking it all in. It's really nice."_

Annie and Auggie spent the next half an hour walking through the apartment, Annie did her best to describe everything to Auggie, and then he walked around, using his cane to get a feel for the spaces. Annie was falling in love with the place. The bedrooms were the same size, reasonably spacious and both had a private bathroom and a walk-in closet. There was also a small laundry room, complete with a washer and dryer and a half bath. Annie's favorite thing was the backyard. It wasn't big, but it had a small deck and lawn. She could imagine spending lazy summer evenings out there with Auggie.

When they returned to the living room Auggie turned to face Annie, half leaning on his cane.

_"So, what do you think? Wanna live here? Mr. White will be back soon and he'll want to know our decision. I'm all for saying yes."_

_"Sheesh Auggie, I have to decide right here and now? I thought I'd have a couple of days to think about this?"_

_"Sorry, I've already held the place for a few days. I planned on bringing it up sooner, but we have been kind of busy lately." _Auggie replied, his confidence seemed to be back. _"And I don't want you to compromise the mission you're leaving for tomorrow by being distracted. It's decision time."_

Annie let out a heavy sigh. She wasn't sure at all, but in her current situation living with her best friend in an amazing apartment seemed like a good idea.

_"Auggie. I'm willing to give this a chance, but I do have my reservations, understood? We need to make some house rules and stuff like that."_

Auggie's response was to grin like a 10 year old that had just been told that his wildest dream was about to come true. Annie smiled; she'd never seen Auggie so happy. She couldn't deny it; she was happy too.

_"Hey, don't get too excited now Soldier Boy!"_ Annie grabbed Auggie's free hand and squeezed it but quickly let go when Mr. White entered the apartment.

Half an hour later the lease was signed, Auggie had cancelled the lease on his loft and they had the keys for the apartment. They'd sort out the deposit when Annie got back from her mission. Annie's head was spinning. Four hours ago she thought she was homeless and all of a sudden she was Auggie's roommate. Things were going a bit too fast for her liking, but she couldn't help feeling a bit exited. She had a place to live and she was sharing it with Auggie - her best friend.


	2. Packing day

**First of all; Thanks for the feedback on chapter one. I'm amazed by the number of people that have put a "story alert" and how many hits the story has had. It encourages me to work on the next chapter. It will probably be up by mid-week, if not earlier. I'm also working on a couple of other stories.**

**Here's chapter 2 as promised. Hope you enjoy it :)**

**Please review - it's greatly appreciated :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs, it belongs to the USA Network. Auggie and Annie belong to the awesome Christopher Gorham and Piper Perabo.**

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><p><strong><span>-Chapter 2: Packing day-<span>**

It was early Wednesday afternoon and Annie was on a plane on her way back from her mission in Europe. It had gone smoothly and Stu had done a good job as her handler, but she'd missed having Auggie's voice in her ear. She'd missed him. Tomorrow they were moving in to their new apartment. Annie tried to sort out what she needed to get done in her head and she concluded that she was pretty much good to go, after all Danielle had packed most of her stuff before she left and she didn't have very much furniture. It was something that could be easily tackled in just an afternoon. She'd talked to Auggie about it before she left and they'd agreed on renting some movers for a day. Auggie needed help getting his stuff downstairs and they needed a van to take Annie's stuff over there. She'd left the details up to Auggie since she was going on a mission, all she knew was that tomorrow was moving day.

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Auggie walked around his apartment, feeling the shelves and cupboards for stuff he might have missed. He had the week off work and had spent a couple of days packing up his belongings. He'd stacked the boxes against the wall right inside the front door so he wouldn't trip over them. It annoyed him that he couldn't just carry the damn boxes downstairs himself, but he knew better than attempting to descend the stairs carrying heavy moving boxes without his cane aiding him. It would be a recipe for disaster. It seemed like he'd succeeded in packing everything, but he'd have Annie double check to be sure.

His landline phone started ringing. "RING-Annie…Walker-RING-Annie…Walker-RING-Annie…Walker…" Annie was back from her mission. It felt strange not having been the voice in her ear on this mission and not knowing every detail about it. Joan had insisted that he took a week off, he was about to lose those vacation days and since the mission was so straight forward and low risk being Annie's handler would be a good learning experience for Stu. Auggie had reluctantly agreed, not that Joan had given him much choice in the matter, and after all he did need some time to pack and get settled in the new apartment.

_"Hey! How was your flight?"_ Auggie answered the phone cheerfully.

_"Delayed, but ok. I'm waiting for a car to take me to Langley for debriefing and to pick up my car, since I've got the rest of the week off I've gotta get it over with this afternoon. Joan is waiting for me. Thought you knew that? I just called to check what kind of arrangements you've made with the movers?"_

_"I didn't know that, I've had the whole week off, remember? The movers are ours from 9 am to 6 pm tomorrow. I was thinking that they could move my stuff first, so you've got the morning to finish packing and get organized. They'll come to your place to get your stuff whenever you're ready, just call me and I'll send them your way."_

_"Oh, yeah, I didn't think about the fact that you've had the week off. You always know everything that's going on at work. I guess Joan was serious about banning you from the office this week? Anyway, movers sound great Augs. Thanks for arranging it. Do you need any help packing? I'll come over after the debriefing if you need me. I can probably be there by 8. I could bring some food if you'd like me to."_

_"Sure. I'm pretty much done, but I could use a pair of eyes to make sure I haven't missed anything, so if you're not too tired and jet-lagged please come over. Just bring food that doesn't require dishes or flatware, everything is packed. I planned on calling for a pizza or going out for dinner tonight."_

_"Pizza it is then! Double mushrooms and anchovies, right?"_ Annie teased, knowing Auggie hated mushrooms and anchovies. _"Oh, looks my ride has arrived. See you in a few hours."_

_"Har har! You know the drill. See you later."_

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><p>The debrief took more time than Annie expected and it was closer to 9 pm when she finally knocked on Auggie's door, pizza box in one hand and a six-pack of beer in a plastic bag in the other.<p>

_"Who is it?"_ Auggie asked.

_"Annie, who else?"_

The door slid open and she entered. Auggie was barefoot, wearing one of his most worn t-shirts and a pair of baggy shorts, his hair was a mess and he obviously hadn't shaved in a day or two. For some reason he seemed more handsome than ever and oh-so-attractive. Her heart skipped a beat. Annie quickly pushed that thought out of her head. Putting the pizza and beer down on the kitchen island she looked around. Every surface was cleared and the wall right inside the door was lined with cardboard boxes, all neatly marked with what room it belonged in and the contents. The strange thing was that it wasn't done with Auggie's Braille labeler, but with a regular marker. His handwriting was surprisingly precise and masculine, even though a little crooked and some letters overlapped.

_"Hey, why have you marked your boxes with a marker? How do you know what's in them?"_ Annie asked in a puzzled tone.

_"So the movers know where to put the boxes. Also, I ran out of tape for the Braille labeler, but I figured you'll be there when I unpack if I have a question and if they're in the right room I can't really go wrong, can I?"_ Auggie answered matter-of-factly.

_"Good thinking Augs, I didn't think about that, but you're always thinking ahead, aren't you? Are you ready for some pizza and a beer? I'm starving!"_ Annie opened the pizza box and pulled two beers from the six-pack. She opened them and brushed one bottle against the back of Auggie's right hand. _"Pizza at your 12 o-clock."_

Auggie grabbed the beer and reached for a slice of pizza with his left hand. He was obviously happy with himself and his planning. _"Yep! Gotta plan ahead. Let's eat, then you can check if I've missed something."_

They finished the pizza while chatting about Annie's mission and then Annie went around Auggie's apartment. He'd done a great job of packing, and he'd only missed a box of cufflinks that were pushed way back on a shelf in his closet and a couple of other small items in equally hard to detect places. He seemed very satisfied with his packing skills.

########################

Just before she was leaving something came into Annie's mind. Furniture. Her meager selection of furniture was not nearly enough to furnish the place, she felt like an idiot for not thinking about it.

_"Auggie, we haven't really discussed furnishing the place. I haven't really got much to contribute with; I've got my bed, desk and chair, an armchair and a couple of other smaller things. Are you ok with us using your stuff in the living room?"_

_"Sure thing, as long as you don't mind the bachelor pad look. It's not like I can fit everything in my bedroom, right? I actually thought that most of the stuff in the guesthouse belong to Dani and Michael?"_

_"Well, I do own some of it, but Danielle said I could take whatever I wanted and I'm taking her up on her offer. I think she's kind of feeling bad about kicking me out, but she seemed happy that we'd be roommates. She likes you, even though I think she has realized you're CIA to and that you've lied to her as well. I think she kind of likes the thought that I'm not living alone."_

_"How could she not like me?" Auggie winked at Annie with a confident smile on his face. "After the tour I gave Chloe's class at the Smithsonian and the speech I gave her about how you'd dedicated your life to saving Americas art from the funding cutters a few weeks ago."_

Annie laughed at him and grabbed her handbag and car key.

_"Beats me! See you tomorrow Auggie, I've gotta get going now, it's almost 11 and tomorrow's going to be a long day."_

* * *

><p>Auggie woke up early the next morning. After a quick shower he towel dried his hair, decided to skip shaving for another day and pulled on his favorite pair of worn jeans, a t-shirt and a pair of sneakers. He put his toiletries, sleep pants and the clothes from yesterday into a duffle bag and pulled the sheets off his bed and stuffed them into a laundry service bag. He folded up his duvet and left that and his pillows on the end of the bed. Then he checked the time; 7:45 am, he had time to go down to the cafe down the block and grab some breakfast before the movers arrived.<p>

He grabbed his wallet, phone, keys and cane off the kitchen island and headed for the cafe. He was excited about moving, but he was happy that he was just moving down a few floors, he didn't have find a new place to have breakfast and learn how to get around a new neighborhood. The thing that made him happier than anything was that he was moving in with Annie. He knew it would be a challenge, but he was more than ready for it.

His life had pretty much been routine since Tikrit, his days were all the same; Get up at 6:30 am, shower, shave, get dressed, leave for work at 7:30, work from 8 to 5, go home or to the Tavern, dinner, listen to the news on TV, go to bed before midnight. Same damn routine every day, Monday to Friday. His weekends were usually spent getting his clothes ready for his laundry service, cleaning his apartment and other tedious tasks he didn't get around to during the workweek. Sure, sometimes he had to work evenings or even nights and weekends because of time differences, but most of the time his schedule was the same. He missed the unpredictable days when he was a field officer and he had a strong feeling that being roomies with Annie Walker would change that.


	3. Ikea

**Thanks for the reviews! Please keep 'em coming!**

**I'm totally amazed by the number of people that have put this on their "Story Alert" and added it to their favorites - I didn't expect it at all.**

**This chapter came together faster than I expected it to, but don't expect me to update this frequently all the time.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs, it belongs to the USA Network. Auggie and Annie belong to the awesome Christopher Gorham and Piper Perabo.**

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><p><strong><span>-Chapter 3: Ikea-<span>**

_"Annie, why the hell do I have to come with you? It's not like I care about what stuff looks like." _Auggie was annoyed. Annie had been pestering him about going with her to Ikea since they moved in to the apartment a week earlier and he'd kept refusing. He hadn't been there for years, not since before Tikrit. He hated the place when he could see, so going there blind would most likely be an absolute nightmare, even if it were with Annie. It was always crowded and the display areas would be a nightmare to navigate without tripping over stuff or knocking something over.

_"Stop being so damn stubborn Auggie. You're coming with me, now get your ass in gear and get ready. We're leaving in 10 minutes, whether you like it or not. I'm not in the mood to argue."_ Annie's no-nonsense tone told Auggie he'd lost. She sounded a lot like his mother when she caught him coming in drunk during High School. He sighed and went into his bedroom to change out of his work clothes.

Eight minutes later he made his way back to the living room, wearing a pair of worn jeans and an Atari t-shirt. He had a 'deer in the headlights' look on his face and his body language and clenched jaw showed that he was really tense.

_"Seriously Auggie, what's up with the nerd fashion?"_ Annie teased, trying to loosen things up a bit.

_"I'm a dork, what can I say? Now, can we please get this over with?"_ He sighed heavily at the end of the sentence; his mood didn't seem to lighten from her friendly teasing.

_"Let's go, I'm ready."_ Annie realized she had a challenging afternoon ahead of her.

Auggie grabbed his cane off the table next to the door, unfolded it and made his way to Annie's car without a word. They were both silent during the 40 minute drive to Woodbridge, VA. Auggie appeared to be staring at his hands, while fidgeting with his cane. Annie didn't understand why Auggie was so tense and he wasn't letting her in on the reason either.

* * *

><p><em>"Ok, here we are!"<em> Annie said, trying to be cheerful, as she turned off the ignition and unbuckled her seatbelt. _"Let's get this show on the road."_

Auggie let out a heavy sigh and stepped out of the car and immediately unfolded his cane. A moment later he felt Annie's right hand brush against his left and he grasped her right elbow, but kept his cane diagonally in front of him instead of putting it away like he normally did when Annie was his sighted guide. Annie decided it was best not to question that, at least not until later.

_"So, what are we getting?"_ Auggie asked while they made their way towards the entrance. _"I know about the dining table and the yard stuff, we discussed that, but I have a feeling that's not everything."_

_"I'm also getting a couple of lamps and some decorative items to soften the bachelor pad look a little bit, like new covers for the throw pillows. Figured some color and patterns will do it. Any preferences in the color department, except for your usual monochrome palette?"_

_"As I told you a while ago colors don't really mean anything to me these days. I can't really remember what they look like, so get whatever you think looks good, just not too girly and frilly, ok?"_

_"Do I seem like someone that likes lace and frills Auggie?"_ Annie replied, mock pouting.

_"Nah, not really, just teasing."_

Half an hour later they'd managed to navigate the 1st floor display areas without incidents and Auggie was starting to relax a bit. He even considered putting his cane away, but decided against it, it was pretty crowded and the cane seemed to give them a little more room to maneuver. They'd selected, or Annie had selected, a dining table and chairs that would fit the rest of the decor. The chairs seemed comfortable, so that satisfied Auggie. They made their way downstairs and Annie grabbed a cart.

_"Hey, why don't you push and I'll steer, like we did at the supermarket the other day?"_ The supermarket trip had been another challenge. Auggie had been ordering his groceries online and had them delivered. Annie didn't see the point of that, she argued that she liked picking out her own food and especially browsing the deli. He had agreed to come with her after some not so subtle persuasion and he'd actually seemed like he enjoyed himself by the time they were finished. It was probably because Annie saved the best for last; the beer shelf. He was happy with having a selection of foreign beers in the fridge. Annie hoped the Ikea trip would end on a similar note.

_"Are you sure? It seems more crowded here than at the supermarket and if I remember correctly the isles are much narrower?"_

_"It'll be ok Auggie, I'll keep us out of trouble, don't worry"_

_"Ok, lets try it then,"_ he said while folding his cane.

* * *

><p>An hour later they were loading five big paper bags into the back seat of Annie's car. The furniture would be delivered the next day, Saturday. Auggie's mood had lightened slightly and he didn't seem as tense as he did before they left.<p>

_"So, was it really that bad?"_ Annie asked as they settled into their seats.

_"Not really, but I still don't see the point of me coming with you."_

_"Well, we both have to live with the stuff and even if you can't see it, you can feel it and have opinions about the texture, right? Plus, having company while driving is nice, I hope you plan on being better company on the way home."_

Auggie turned his head in her direction, with an apologetic look on his face.

_"Sorry about that, I was just really nervous. I remember Ikea as being really crowded, with lots of stuff to trip over or knock down. Didn't wanna make a damn fool of myself." _There, he said it. He'd admitted that he was actually nervous about something, that he wasn't 100% confident all of the time.

_"Auggie, it's ok. Don't worry about it, just please be honest with me the next time. You're human, there's nothing wrong with not feeling comfortable with certain things. I guess that's why you kept your cane out, right?"_ She reached over and squeezed his left arm reassuringly and a small smile came across his face.

_"Yep, as a safety measure, to warn people that I'm blind and can't really pay attention to them. Since it seems to repel people it makes it easier navigating crowds, even with a guide I trust implicitly."_ Auggie felt Annie giving his arm another reassuring squeeze and the conversation moved on to lighter subjects.

* * *

><p>Late that evening Annie was laying in bed, lost in her thoughts. She'd gotten to know a whole new side of Auggie the last week. At work he oozed with self-confidence, he was the funny blind Head of Tech Ops, liked by everyone. Living with him had shown her his more vulnerable side, that although he was confident that confidence was partly a facade, a facade that easily cracked when he was pushed into unfamiliar territory, out of his comfort zone. She smiled slightly to herself; she was definitely going to get Auggie out of his shell.<p>

On the other side of the wall Auggie was laying in his bed, thinking about how living with Annie had already changed his life, at least somewhat. Life was not all about routine anymore and she seemed to pull him out of his comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory, pushing his boundaries. He had to admit that he liked the way every day with Annie seemed to be a new adventure, just like he'd expected.


	4. Auggie's story

**Thanks again for the reviews and kind words. They're greatly appreciated :) Again: Keep 'em coming!**

**This chapter took a bit of a different direction than I planned, but my beta said she really liked it. I hope you like it too.**

**Next chapter will be up soon, hopefully sometime before the weekend.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs, the USA Network do.**

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><p><strong><span>-Chapter 4: Auggie's story-<span>**

Annie hadn't heard from Danielle since she moved out. It had been almost a month and it was starting to bother her more every day. How long was her sister going to stay mad at her? Would she ever come around? She remembered Auggie telling her that it took his brother six months to come around. What if it was the same with Danielle? Annie couldn't face the idea of being without Danielle for that long. She had thought about dropping by or calling her sister, but she knew she had to give her some space and contacting her before she was ready would probably make matters worse.

Auggie could sense that something was bothering Annie. She'd been really quiet the last few days and she didn't respond to his jokes as she usually did. Last night he'd heard her crying into her pillow when he passed her bedroom door on his way to bed. He had a strong feeling it was because of her sister, he knew they'd been pretty close and that not having Danielle in her life was very hard on Annie. He'd been through it with his brother Matthew and it was not easy. He knew he had to have a chat with Annie.

Later that evening, after dinner, Auggie cut to the chase. _"Annie, I know something is bothering you. You've seemed distant and distracted lately and I'm pretty sure I heard you crying in bed last night. Is it about Danielle?"_

_"Are you eavesdropping Auggie? That's not very nice you know. I'm fine."_ Annie did not sound fine, she sounded upset.

_"No Annie, I'm not eavesdropping, but you left your door ajar when you went to bed last night and I heard it when I passed your room on my way to bed. Again; I'm __blind__, not deaf. I thought I'd made that clear a while ago."_

Annie didn't immediately respond. She felt like such a crybaby for being so upset about Danielle, but it really hurt. She glanced over at Auggie, he was sitting in one of the red chairs with a Braille copy of PC World on his lap, but he didn't appear to be reading it. She took a deep, ragged breath.

_"Yeah, it's about Dani. I haven't heard from her since I moved out and I really miss her and the girls. Hell, I even miss Michael. How long will she stay mad at me Aug?"_ Annie sniffled and felt tears welling up in her eyes. _"What if she takes as long as your brother to come around?"_

_"Annie, Danielle isn't my brother and I have no idea when she'll come around, but I'm sure she will, when she's ready. Matt did, and we're closer than ever."_

_"I sure hope so, I don't know how long I can take this. It's just killing me. What made your brother come around? And why are you closer than ever now?"_

_"This!" _Auggie pointed at his eyes.

_"Huh?"_ Annie was confused.

_"It's kind of a long story, but if you're up for it, I'll share. Consider yourself warned."_

Auggie paused for a couple of minutes, gathering his thoughts, and then he started his story.

_"Well, lets start at the beginning then. As I've told you before I have four older brothers. The three oldest have never been close to me. Growing up Matt, the youngest, was my ally. During our college years we sort of drifted apart and then I was recruited by the CIA, did my training at The Farm and moved to D.C. We didn't have much contact for a few years. Out of the blue, right after I started working at the Agency, Matt asked if he could stay with me for a while. He'd been offered a job in D.C. and needed somewhere to stay while looking for an apartment. I was still breaking in my cover and having him on my couch was not exactly part of my plans, but I couldn't come up with a sufficient excuse and he arrived a few days later. I think he suspected that something was a bit 'off' pretty fast. My frequent travels didn't really fit in with being a hacker and he started asking questions. He checked my mail, emails, eavesdropped on phone calls and tailed me. Then he got his own place and was promoted at work. I guess he kind of lost interest."_ Auggie paused to have a swig of his beer.

_"About a year and a half later the whole Natasha thing blew up. You know the story. I was really upset and I decided it was a good idea to drown my sorrows in Patron and I got really wasted one night. A friend of mine called Matt after I got into a fight at a bar. He came and took me home and when he asked me why he hell I was acting like I was I spilled the whole story, revealing that I was with the Agency. He sat still and listened to me, without giving me any kind of reaction, his face was just blank. When I finished my ramblings he got up and left. Walked out the door without looking back. He didn't answer his phone or door when I tried to contact him and he didn't reply to my emails. Then I got assigned to go to Iraq. We didn't get back in touch before I left."_ Auggie let out a sigh and ran his right hand through his hair.

_"Well, you know what happened in Iraq, so I'm not going to repeat it. After the explosion I was sent to Germany, to a military hospital there, and then back to Walter Reed. Matt was there when I arrived. He was my emergency contact. I should have been grateful, but at that point I was a mess. I was angry about what happened to me, my Unit, Nassir's betrayal – basically everything. I was also scared out of my mind. At that point I didn't know if they'd be able to restore my sight, and the fear of being blind for the rest of my life was unbearable. I tried to push him away; I just wanted him to leave me alone to deal with the situation. He didn't leave my side; he was there for me when I got the message that I was permanently blind. During rehab he came to visit several times a week, even though I wasn't much fun to be around. I stayed in the angry phase quite a while. I was in denial, refused to accept that this" _Auggie pointed at his eyes again_, "was real, that I'd have to live like this for the rest of my life. I resisted everything they tried to teach me. Matt was the one that managed to wake me up."_

_"How'd he do that?"_ Annie cut in. _"I know how stubborn you are."_

_"He walked in on me during a session with my Orientation and Mobility Instructor about a month into rehab. She'd been trying to get me to use a cane since I arrived and I refused. I felt it made me a target; that it was a symbol of weakness and dependence and using it would make my blindness 'real'. I convinced myself I was better off without it. I wasn't. I ran into stuff all of the time, tripped over things, almost broke my nose and a couple of toes more than once."_ Auggie paused for a moment, then he continued his story.

_"When Matt walked in that day I'd just fallen on my face after tripping over a chair. He gave me a speech I will never forget. Told me to get my head out of my ass and stop acting like a child; that I needed to start embracing what they were trying to teach me instead of resisting everything. He told me that he wasn't going to take me in and neither were anyone else in the family, so I'd better get my shit together and learn how to live independently and get back to work, to make a living for myself again."_ Auggie paused and swallowed, trying to control his emotions. He'd never told anyone about this and the memories were still painful. He heard Annie coming towards him; she sat down on the arm of his chair and put her arm around his shoulders.

_"Auggie, I can't even imagine what that was like, how hard it was."_ Her voice was low and compassionate.

_"Well, after that I started to listen to the trainers, and actually learned from them. I realized that I'd been an idiot for resisting the cane, when I got the basics down I could move around independently without running into stuff. Slowly, as I mastered more and more skills, the knot of fear in my gut started loosening up and eventually I started to feel a little confident again. I'd wasted a lot of time being angry and in denial, so I worked really hard for the remaining three months. I'm not gonna pretend it was easy, it was the hardest thing I've ever done, but Matt was there. I don't know where I'd be today without his support." _Auggie finished quietly. Annie leaned over and hugged Auggie, then she moved back to the couch. They sat in silence for a while.

_"Does Matt still live here in D.C.?"_ Annie broke the silence a few minutes later.

_"Nope, he moved back to the Midwest a couple of years ago, got a job offer and married his High School sweetheart. It's been about a year since I last saw him, but we keep in touch via email and the occasional phone call."_

_"Do you miss him?"_

_"Yeah, I wish we could see each other more often. I guess we both have busy schedules at work and Matt and his wife Susannah just had their first child, a couple of months ago, so it's not easy for us to find time to visit. Actually he's been nagging me about coming to Glencoe for the Labor Day weekend. I'm not sure if I'm up to it. I hate air travel on my own, having to rely on strangers is just not something I'm very fond of."_

_"Having to rely on strangers?" _Annie sounded confused.

_"Well, it's not like I can find my way around an airport without assistance and if I'm travelling alone I have to rely on people from Travellers Assistance to guide me around. It makes me feel so…blind and helpless."_

_"Well, you are indeed blind, but you're not helpless Auggie."_

_"In some situations, like in unfamiliar territory, I __am__ pretty helpless and whether I like it or not I have to rely on other people. I've accepted it, but it doesn't mean I like it."_ His tone was firm, but laced with sadness. Annie was lost for words and just grabbed his right hand and squeezed it firmly.

They spent the rest of the evening watching a movie and chatting about Annie's upcoming assignment. Annie felt slightly better about her sister. Danielle would come around when she was ready and Annie realized that she just needed to give her some space. It still wasn't easy, but at least she wasn't alone. She had Auggie. She glanced over at him, he did remind her of a St. Bernard; cute, dependable and when she was feeling down he'd bring her booze.


	5. A call from Mom

**Thanks again for the amazing feedback! I'm blown away by all of the people that have added this to their Favorites and Story Alerts. It's truly inspiring.**

**This chapter was hard to write and I've re-written it a dozen times. I hope you like it.**

**I'm working on the next chapter, I'll probably send it to my beta tomorrow. Hopefully it will be posted late tomorrow or on Monday.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs, the USA Network does.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 5: A call from Mom-<span>**

It was almost 3 am when the car service dropped Auggie off at home. Annie had left work almost 10 hours earlier, he'd intended to leave with her, but right before Auggie was off for the day a mission had gone wrong and the entire Tech Ops crew had been ordered to stay for as long as necessary. After a few frantic hours they'd managed to get the officer out and he was on his way home. As Head of Tech Ops Auggie had been in charge of the extraction and he had to stay behind to be debriefed by Joan and Arthur. They'd promised to make it as quick as possible, but it had taken almost two hours. Auggie was drained and all he could think of was going to bed. He was more than thankful that Joan had given him the next day off and he could sleep in.

He made his way inside quickly and as he entered the apartment he slipped his shoes off and put them in the shoe rack right inside the door. He folded his cane and put that and his keys on the small table next to the shoe rack. It was quiet. After all, it was the middle of the night, so Annie had probably been in bed for hours. He headed across the living room towards his bedroom. All of a sudden he felt his foot catching on something and a second later he was sprawling on the floor. _"Shit!"_ He couldn't help shouting; a few seconds later he heard a door opening and Annie's footsteps coming down the hallway.

_"Oh my God, Auggie. Are you ok?"_ Annie's voice was husky from sleep, but laced with worry.

_"I think I'm fine,"_ he said gruffly as he got back on his feet. _"What the hell did I trip over?"_

_"My shoe. I'm so sorry. I was drained when I got home and I just sat down and kicked off my shoes. Then I fell asleep on the couch and when I made my way to bed I was half asleep and I didn't think about the shoes at all."_ Annie felt terrible.

_"Don't worry about it, it's not the first time I trip over stuff, and so far you've done really well on not leaving any traps for me. Now, if the hall is clear I'm heading to bed. I'm drained and feel like I could fall asleep standing up."_ He tilted his head in her direction with a questioning look on his face.

_"All clear. Good night Auggie. I'm so so sorry."_

_"Don't worry about it. Good night."_ He turned and headed for his bedroom.

Annie had really made an effort to not leave stuff out for Auggie to trip over during the month they'd been roommates and so far she'd succeeded. Tonight was the first time she'd slipped and she spent a good hour in bed mentally kicking herself for being so thoughtless before going back to sleep.

* * *

><p>It was almost noon before Auggie finally woke up. It took his sleep-fogged brain a couple of minutes to remember that he had the day off. He got up and headed for the kitchen to start the coffee maker; that done, he showered quickly and put on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He sat on the edge of his bed for a minute, pondering over what to do for the rest of the day. He didn't really have anything that needed to be done. The laundry service had picked up his laundry the day before yesterday, he'd been grocery shopping with Annie a few days ago and they'd cleaned up the apartment over the weekend. For a second he considered shaving and changing his clothes and head to work. He did have a few reports to finish and some other loose ends to tie up. He quickly decided against it. It would just piss Joan off; she'd specifically told him she didn't want to see him in the office today.<p>

Half an hour later Auggie was on his second cup of coffee. He was still pondering over what he should do for the rest of the day when his iPhone started ringing. It was the tone assigned to his parent's landline phone. "Great," he thought. "Another call to persuade me to come home for Labor Day." He grabbed his Bluetooth headset out of his pocket and answered the call.

_"Hello."_

_"August? Aren't you at work? Thought I'd just get your VoiceMail, what a pleasant surprise. How are you?"_

_"Good Mom. Got the day off, worked 'til 3 am last night, I just got up about an hour ago. How are you and Dad?"_

_"Everything is good here. Would be even better if you'd come home for the Labor Day weekend." _Jill Anderson had never been one for beating around the bush, she cut to the chase.

_"Mom, you know how I feel about air travel. I already had this discussion with Matt a couple of weeks ago."_ Auggie sighed at the end of the sentence.

_"I know August, but you haven't been here since Matt's wedding and that was almost two years ago. We miss you."_

Auggie sighed again. Part of him wanted to go, but between the hassle of air travel and awkward moments with his family there were more reasons to stay in D.C., at least that's what he felt.

_"Well, you guys don't exactly come here to see me all the time either, to my knowledge. It's a two-way street ya' know."_ Auggie shot in.

_"We have been to D.C. twice the last two years. Now it's about time you came home. As you just said; it's a two-way street. Why don't you bring Annie? It would be nice to meet the woman you're living with."_

Auggie mentally punched himself for that setting himself that trap.

_"Mom, Annie's not my girlfriend, she's my co-worker. I'm not living '__with__' her, we're roommates, separate bedrooms and everything."_

_"Still, it would be nice to meet her. Her last name is Walker, right?"_

_"Yeah, why?"_ Auggie asked. _"Mom, what are you up to?"_ He had a bad feeling after his mother's last question.

_"I'll email you the details later today or tomorrow. Just make sure you and Annie have the weekend off."_ His mother's tone didn't leave room for discussion.

_"Mom, I don't know what Annie's plans for Labor day are, You can't just make plans on her behalf, or my behalf for that matter."_ Auggie was aggravated.

_"August, you're coming home for Labor Day and that's final. I figured if Annie comes with you it would make the trip easier on you, but if she can't make it I'll understand. Your presence is required. No excuses."_ Auggie let another heavy sigh escape his lips. Damn, his mother always had her ways of getting her way, she always managed to get people to oblige, some way or another. He knew he was fighting a losing battle.

_"Ok Mom. I'll be there, granted I can get time off work. I'll check with Annie when she gets off work and let you as soon as possible. Happy?"_

_"Your boss better give you a few days off to visit with your family. Call me as soon as you know, ok?"_

_"Yep! Love you Mom."_

_"Love you too Son."_

Auggie ended the call and sighed again. He pulled the headset out of his ear and stuffed it back into his pocket. He loved his mother, but he hated how she always seemed to get people, himself included, doing what she wanted them to. He hoped Annie would go with him. Having her there would make it bearable.

* * *

><p>When Annie came home from work four hours later she found Auggie sitting in one of the lounge chairs in the backyard with headphones covering his ears and a bottle of beer in his hand. His face had the "deer in the headlights" look she remembered from the Ikea trip a few weeks ago. She approached him and gently touched his hand. He jumped in his seat and jerked his headphones down around his neck.<p>

_"What the hell? Who's there?"_

_"Auggie, it's me. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."_

_"I was just caught up in my thoughts and with earphones on I didn't catch you coming."_

_"What's on you mind? I haven't seen that look on your face since Ikea."_

Auggie sighed heavily and took a moment to gather his thoughts before he answering Annie's question.

_"Well, my mother called earlier and she somehow managed to persuade me to come to Glencoe for the Labor Day weekend. I kind of set a trap for myself, speaking before thinking. I'm still kicking myself for that damn mistake."_

_"It's not the end of the world Auggie. It's just for a few days. I understand the travel part, but you'll get to see Matt and your parents."_ Annie tried to sound cheerful and encouraging, but she was also a bit disappointed. She knew she wouldn't be involved in whatever Danielle had planned for Labor Day and with Auggie gone she'd be alone. She'd taken it for granted that she and Auggie would be spending the weekend together. Even though he'd mentioned his brother trying to get him to come home it hadn't crossed Annie's mind that he actually might be going home to his family.

"Yeah, I guess… Well, it's something else; Mom wants you to come too. She's paying the tickets. We'd be leaving on Friday and coming back on Tuesday."

_"Me? Why?"_ Annie couldn't understand why Auggie's mother would pay for her to go to Glencoe with him. Then it hit her; _"Auggie, you haven't given your parents the impression that we're more than roommates?"_

_"No, and I made that perfectly clear to her. She thinks that you coming with me will make the trip easier for me."_

_"Well, won't me coming make the trip easier? You wouldn't have to rely on strangers from Travellers Assistance, I'd be there to guide you."_

_"Of course it would, it's always easier when I have someone I know and more important; trust, to assist me,"_ Auggie admitted.

_"Well, I'll come then. I don't think Danielle will invite me along for whatever they're doing for Labor Day this year and if you're going home I'll be stuck here all alone all weekend. Spending time with you in Glencoe sounds more fun than hanging around here alone." _Annie sounded excited.

_"Really?"_ Auggie said with a hint of disbelief in his voice and a puzzled look on his face. _"You think spending the weekend in Glencoe with my __family__ will be fun?"_

_"They raised you, so they can't be that bad." Annie replied in a joking tone._

_"Oh, har… I guess I'll call Joan and try to get us both a couple of days off work then."_ Auggie reached for his iPhone and dug the Bluetooth headset out of his jean pocket and placed it in his ear.

* * *

><p>Late that night Auggie was lying in bed, trying to go to sleep without luck. His mind was racing. Joan had given him and Annie the time off without making a fuss about it and he'd called his mother to tell her they were coming. She'd been over the moon with joy. He'd also gotten a very excited text message from Matt. He'd already bought them tickets for a Cubs game in Wrigley field on Sunday. He knew he should be happy about going home and having Annie with him would make the trip much more enjoyable. He just hoped there wouldn't be too many awkward moments during the weekend.<p> 


	6. Second thoughts and insecurities

**The reviews on the previous chapter just blew me away! Thank you so much :o) I'm also amazed by the number of people that have added this to their "Story Alert" and added it to their favorites. Thanks for the kind PM's as well.**

**I know the trip to Glencoe is anticipated and it will start in the next chapter. I'm working on it now. I just wanted to explore some of Auggie's insecurities regarding his family and why he is so reluctant about going home. I hope I haven't made him too angsty.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs. It belongs to the USA Network.**

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><p><strong><span>-Chapter 6: Second thoughts and insecurities –<span>**

It was Friday afternoon and Annie was sitting at her desk in the DPD, trying to focus on the report she was supposed to hand in to Joan by the end of the day, but she couldn't focus. The Labor Day weekend was still a week away, but she couldn't stop her mind from racing. When she'd agreed to go with Auggie to Glencoe to spend the weekend with his family it seemed like a good idea, but over the couple of weeks since she accepted the invitation she'd started having second thoughts. Sure, she'd be with Auggie, but he didn't exactly seem excited about their trip, she knew his mother had practically ordered him to come. His big family was really daunting to her, she'd grown up with Danielle and her parents and she'd never really known her aunts and uncles that well. All of her grandparents were dead before she was born.

_"Annie, when can I expect that report? I'm leaving soon."_ Joan walked up behind her. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Joan coming.

_"Almost done, just have to a few things to tie up. Give me half an hour and it's on your desk, ok?"_ Annie tried her best to sound confident.

_"Half an hour Annie."_ Joan stated in her best no-nonsense tone and walked away.

Somehow Annie managed to get the report on Joan's desk within half an hour. It wasn't her best work, but at least she met the deadline.

After dropping the report off at Joan's office Annie headed in to Auggie's office where he was sitting behind his computer, headphones covering his ears. He seemed to be very focused on something, his eyebrows were furrowed and his fingers were flying over his keyboard, then his right index finger swept over the Braille display below his keyboard and he went back to typing again. Annie decided it was best not to interrupt and turned to slip out of his office again.

_"Sneaking out Walker?"_ Annie jumped. Auggie never ceased to amaze her with his spidey senses. She turned around to see Auggie pulling his headphones down around his neck.

_"Well, you seemed to be very focused, so I figured it would be best not to interrupt you. I'll come back later."_

_"It's ok, it's just this damn encryption I've been trying to decipher for the last couple of days. Looks like I'm finally getting somewhere. What time is it?"_ Auggie seemed very happy with himself, a self-satisfied grin spread across his face.

_"Almost five. Wanna go to the Tavern for dinner and a beer or three after work?"_

_"Sure, we haven't been there in a while, people might think we're becoming hermits since we're staying home all of the time."_ Auggie stated with a smile. _"Give me half an hour or so to finish up here? I'd really like to get this done before I take off for the weekend."_

_"Hermits, huh? Well, we'd better do something to change that impression. Let me know when you're ready, I've got some reports I can work on while you finish. Just take your time."_ Annie replied and went back to her desk in the bullpen.

* * *

><p>Two hours later they were sitting at their usual table at Allen's Tavern. They'd finished their dinner and were on their third round of Bud Light. Conversation was flowing about everything and anything and Annie decided to ask Auggie to tell her a bit about his family. All she really knew was that he was the youngest of five boys, he hadn't told her much about his personal life and upbringing.<p>

_"Hey Aug, why don't you tell me about your family? It would be nice to know a little bit about them before I meet them. I know you come from a big family and having grown up with just one sister and my parents it's actually kind of daunting."_

_"Daunting? Well, then you know how I feel, just for different reasons. What do you want to know?"_

_"Well, it would just be good to have kind of an overview of who they are and what they do I guess."_

_" I'll give you the abridged version when we get home tonight."_

Sensing Annie's confusion he added in a whisper; "_I think Jai is joining us, I can smell his cologne approaching, and I'd rather not share my life story with him if you don't mind."_

* * *

><p>After a few rounds with Jai and a couple of guys from Tech Ops they managed to excuse themselves and catch a cab home. They settled on the couch with a beer each and Auggie gave Annie a brief overview of his family,<p>

_"My Dad, Andrew, is a corporate lawyer, he's 69 and a semi-retired senior partner at a major Chicago law firm. I don't think he'll ever be able to retire fully, he's too much of a workaholic and still works at least three days a week. Mom, Jillian, or Jill as she goes by, is 68. Raising five boys didn't allow her to create a career, but she's worked part-time as a secretary at dad's law firm since I was in High School. She's also very involved in a few local charities and the social circles of Glencoe. My oldest brother, Steven, is 48. He's a pediatrician. He's married to Catherine; she goes by Kate, is 46 and is a stay at home mom. They've got two daughters; Carrie is 22 she's starting law school at Yale this fall. Christine is 17 and a senior in High School."_ Auggie paused to have a sip of beer.

_"Then there's John. He's 46 and followed in Dad's footsteps. He's a corporate lawyer and a junior partner at the same firm as my Dad. He's married to 34 year old Mandy, she's an interior designer and they've got a six-year-old son, Peter. Alexander, or Alex, is 45 and the second doctor in the family. He's a neurologist. He was divorced a few years ago and has never re-married. He's got a daughter, Lindsay. She's 25 and is starting her last year of medical school at Northwestern. Matthew is only a year older than me, 37. He's the CEO at a big real estate developer in Chicago. He married Susannah, she's 32, about two years ago and they've got a three month old son, Alan," _Auggie paused for a second_. "I guess that about wraps it up. You'll meet most of them in about a week."_

Annie sat in silence for a few minutes, she'd hoped learning more about Auggie's family would make them less daunting, but the it had actually done the exact opposite. They seemed more daunting than ever. She let a sigh pass her lips.

_"What's that?"_ Auggie turned his head in her direction.

_"I feel so silly, but your family seems more daunting than ever."_ Annie admitted.

_"Annie, don't worry so much. Yes, they are kind of daunting, especially all together as you will experience at the Labor Day cookout next Monday, but at least you can see what's going on."_ Auggie let out an exasperated sigh before continuing. _"I always feel very blind when I'm with them all together. There are always several conversations going on and all of a sudden the person I've been talking with has disappeared without letting me know and I find myself talking to the empty chair next to me. Awkward doesn't really cover how I feel most of the time during big family gatherings. It's why I do my best to avoid those. I can deal with them one family at the time, but all together…"_ He sighed again.

_"I won't leave you talking into mid air if I can help it." _Annie moved over and put her arm around Auggie's shoulders. _"I'll be by your side all the way. Promise."_

_"Thanks, I'm really happy you're going. I'll do my best to make it as fun as possible for both of us, but be prepared for awkwardness, ok?"_ Auggie put his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a hug.

Annie felt butterflies swarming around her stomach as Auggie hugged her. She was still scared to admit she had feelings beyond friendship for Auggie.. Learning to know him even better the last month and a half and getting to know his more vulnerable side had only made her feelings grow stronger and she was glad he couldn't see her blushing. She really had to use all of her self-control to stop herself from kissing him. "Stop it," she told herself. "It's Auggie, your best friend and roommate. Don't mess up the best relationship you've ever had."

* * *

><p><em>"Annie, wake up!"<em> Auggie shook her shoulder gently. Annie growled and pulled the covers over her head. It was Saturday and she wanted to sleep in. She'd had one too many beers last night and ending the evening with a couple of shots of Patron had not been one of her brightest ideas. She felt the covers being pulled off her and Auggie's hand on her shoulder again. _"Wake up sleepy head!"_

_"What?"_ She slowly sat up in bed and rubbed her eyes. _"Is something wrong? What time is it?"_

_"Nothing is wrong, but it's almost 10 am and if I remember correctly you have an appointment with your hairdresser at noon? And you've gotta get your car from Allen's before that."_

_"Oh… yeah, that's right, I totally forgot about the car. Thanks Aug."_ Annie couldn't believe that Auggie actually remembered her hairdresser's appointment.

_"Coffee's ready and I've been to the baker to get some fresh bagels for breakfast and the Washington Post for you."_ Auggie turned to go back to the living room.

_"You really are the best roommate in the world!"_ Annie shouted after him. He turned and flashed her his signature smirk.

Annie jumped out of bed, had a quick shower and got ready in record time. When she entered the living room she found Auggie sitting on one of the stools by the kitchen island with his iPad and portable Braille display in front of him. Apparently he was catching up on the news, he was surfing the USA Today website.

Annie quickly spread cream cheese on a bagel and poured herself a mug of coffee. After filling up Auggie's mug she sat down on the stool next to him.

_"So, got any plans for the day?"_

_"Nah, nothing special, but I think we should go grocery shopping in the afternoon. Fridge and pantry seems pretty sparsely stocked. I need to replenish the beer shelf as well."_

_"Well, I should be done at the hairdressers by two o'clock. I can pick you up from here at about 2:30."_

_"Sounds good. We could go somewhere for a late lunch and go grocery shopping on the way home."_ Auggie suggested.

_"Great!"_ Annie's phone beeped. _"My cab's here! See you later, I'll call when I leave the salon!"_

Auggie heard the door slam shut behind her and turned his attention back to the iPad.

* * *

><p>They went for a late lunch at TGI Fridays and then they hit the supermarket. When Annie suggested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner Auggie sighed and an embarrassed look came across his face.<p>

_"What's wrong Auggie?"_ Annie asked.

_"Spaghetti. I can deal with it pretty well, but I prefer bow tie pasta or penne, it's just easier to eat without eating like a toddler. Whenever I have spaghetti I always spend the whole meal in fear of looking like a fool and ending up with most of the meal in my lap."_ Auggie had the 'deer in the headlights' look on his face again.

_"Well, what do you prefer? They've got penne, pasta screws and bow ties."_

_"Doesn't really matter, penne I guess."_ Auggie replied with a shrug of his shoulders. Annie grabbed a box of penne and put the packet of spaghetti back on the shelf.

_"Penne it is. I just didn't think about the spaghetti thing. Thanks for letting me know,"_ she said lightly while making a mental note to discuss this with Auggie later. It was definitely more to the story, but she knew better than to question him in public.

* * *

><p>After they'd finished dinner they were seated on the couch, sharing a bottle of red wine. Annie decided to bring up their conversation from the grocery store.<p>

_"Auggie, when we were at the supermarket earlier this afternoon I got the feeling that there is more to the whole spaghetti and meatballs story."_

Auggie sighed, wondering how Annie was able to read his mind. He decided to fess up.

_"Mom always makes spaghetti and meatballs for me as a welcome home dinner. Her homemade meatballs are amazing and she makes a great sauce as well. It was my favorite growing up and it has become kind of a tradition ever since I went to college I guess."_

_"Well, it sounds nice. What's the problem?"_

_"I wish she'd get penne or bow tie pasta instead of the blasted spaghetti."_

_"Auggie, why don't you just tell your mother that penne or bow tie pasta is easier for you? I'm sure she'll get that instead. If you've never told her she can't really know, can she?"_

_"I dunno'. I don't want to seem like I need special treatment because I'm blind. I've struggled enough to convince Mom I'm able to live independently, you know? If she had it her way I would've moved into my room at their house after I finished rehab. She was convinced that I'd be unable to live alone and take care of myself."_

_"Auggie, it's just pasta; just tell her. She's your __mother__, I'm sure she'll understand."_ Auggie didn't reply; he just shrugged his shoulders again. Annie paused a second to gather her thoughts before continuing.

_"From what you've told me Matt is the only person in your family you've spent extensive time with since being blinded, right?"_ Auggie nodded. _"Well, if you haven't spent time with them, how are they supposed to know how to act around you, what you can do yourself and what you need some assistance with? They're probably just as insecure around you as you are around them, have that ever crossed your stubborn mind?"_

_"Well, the thing is that I don't want them to act different. I'm still the same person as I was three years ago, I'm still Auggie, I just can't see now. Most of the time I'm fine on my own and I'll ask for help when I need it. I hate it when they just assume I need help with something I'm perfectly capable of. Hell, you got that within hours of meeting me and everyone at work knows that and treats me normally. Why can't my own damn family do that?"_ His voice rose at the end. Annie moved to sit next to him and started stroking his back to calm him down. She could feel his tense muscles under his shirt.

_"Well, I think that next weekend will be a perfect occasion to let your family know that. Maybe you should talk to your family, kind of like you do with new people at work, like you did with that intern last week? Have you ever done that?"_

_"I've never done that. Matt was with me all trough rehab and he had a few lessons with Chrissy, my O&M instructor on how to assist me and my parents went to the Hines VA in Illinois to have a couple of lessons with an O&M instructor there right before I came home for Christmas the year I was injured."_

_"Well, that still leaves plenty of people. Instead of letting the elephant in the room grow bigger I think you should grab the bull by the horns and try to help your family understand that you're still the Auggie they know and love."_

_"And when did you become my personal therapist Walker?"_ Auggie said with a small smile on his face.

Deep down he knew Annie was right. He hadn't spent much time with most of his family since being blinded and maybe he needed to take some action to make things less awkward and get them to realize that he still was the same person? Maybe having Annie there with him would make it easier to do that?

He also realized that his feelings for Annie were growing stronger each day. She understood him so well and most important; she saw him as a person, as Auggie, not as the blind guy. He just didn't want to lose his best friend and making a move if Annie didn't share his feelings would probably ruin their relationship. Auggie wasn't willing to risk that.


	7. Glencoe part 1

**Wow! The feedback on the previous chapter was really amazing! :o) Thank you all SO much!**

**Here is the first part of their trip to Glencoe. It's a bit short, but it seemed like a natural place to pause the story. The next chapter will be longer, I promise. I don't think it will be up until closer to the weekend, I have a busy week at work.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs, it belongs to the USA Network.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 7: Glencoe part 1-<span>**

_"Annie, are you ready? Car service is 10 minutes away."_ Auggie shouted in the direction of Annie's bedroom.

_"Almost, give me a couple of minutes and I'm good to go. Just gotta finish packing."_

_"Sure 'Miss-Always-Getting-Ready-At-The-Last-Minute', just get moving. I don't think Mom will appreciate it if we miss our flight."_ Auggie teased.

_"Har har Auggie! I'm almost ready."_

Five minutes later Annie emerged from her room with her suitcase in tow and a large tote bag over her shoulder. Auggie was standing by the front door waiting for her with his left hand on the handle of his suitcase, messenger bag with his laptop and other tech-toys slung across his body and his cane in his right hand. He was always ready on time. They made their way to the sidewalk and two minutes later the car service vehicle arrived to take them to Reagan for their flight to O'Hare.

* * *

><p>Half an hour later they stepped out of the car outside the departure hall at Reagan. A Skycap approached with a luggage trolley in front of him and the driver loaded their bags onto the trolley. After letting him know their flight number the Skycap told them to follow him to the check-in counter.<p>

_"It looks really crowded Augs, maybe you should have your cane out. Seems like these crowds can be something of a nightmare to navigate," _Annie said as she brushed her right hand against Auggie's left. He pulled his cane out of his messenger bag and unfolded it as he whispered, _"Thanks for having my back Annie,"_ into her ear.

After checking in and getting through security without incidents they were sitting at a table at The Einstein Bagel Bros. enjoying coffee and a bagel for breakfast.

_"I can get used to travelling with you Annie. This is much more enjoyable than being dumped at the gate by Travellers Assistance an hour before boarding starts."_

_"Glad you're enjoying it."_ Annie said with a smile, giving Auggie's arm a reassuring pat.

* * *

><p>Their flight was right on schedule and at 1:45 pm they were making their way towards baggage claim at O'Hare. It was just as crowded as Reagan, so Annie had told Auggie to get his cane out again. He was right; it did seem to repel people and it made it easier for Annie to guide him through the crowds.<p>

_"Matt should be waiting for us at baggage claim. He said he'd be here when our flight arrived."_

_"What does he look like? Does he look anything like you?"_

_"I guess we kind of look like each other, but he's dark blonde and a bit shorter than me."_

Annie didn't have to look for Matt. As soon as they entered the baggage claim area he approached them. He was a spitting image of Auggie, except for being dark blonde and about four inches shorter than his younger brother.

_"Auggie! It's so great to see you again."_ Matt exclaimed while pulling Auggie in for a bear hug.

_"Good to see you too Matt!"_ Auggie replied with a huge grin across his face_. "Meet Annie Walker, my roommate, co-worker and best friend."_

_"Nice to meet you, Matt,"_ Annie said, while stretching out her right hand.

Matt didn't take it; he pulled her in for a brief hug. _"Great to meet you Annie,"_ he said with a warm smile.

_"So, should we try to grab your luggage and get going? Looks like the bags from your flight is appearing on the carousel now."_

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later they were in Matt's BMW headed for Glencoe. Auggie was in the front passenger seat, chatting away with his brother. Annie was happy to see that there were no signs of awkwardness between the two; they were extremely comfortable together. Annie instantly liked Matt. He seemed to have Auggie's sense of humor and he seemed like a warm and genuine person.<p>

After about 45 minutes Matt pulled off the highway and soon they were driving through an affluent neighborhood and a few minutes later Matt pulled into the drive of a huge, two story red brick house with white trimmings and a very well maintained front yard. She was awestruck. She'd figured that Auggie's family was well off, but this was more than she'd expected.

_"Wow! You grew up here? The house is beautiful!"_ Annie gushed, feeling sort of stupid afterwards.

_"I guess,"_ Matt replied with a shrug. _"To us it's just home."_ Auggie echoed his statement.

Before they could continue the conversation the front door opened. Auggie's mother came running towards them. She was tall for her age, fashionably dressed in well-fitted clothes, her salt and pepper hair was done in a well-trimmed bob and she had warm chocolate eyes just like Auggie. She looked way younger than her 68 years.

_"August, I'm so happy you're home!" She said as she embraced her youngest son._

_"I'm happy to be here too Mom. It's good to see you." _He replied. They broke the embrace and Auggie's mother turned her attention to Annie.

_"And this must be Annie Walker?"_

_"Yes Mom, this is my co-worker, roommate and best friend Annie. Annie, this is my mother, Jillian Anderson."_

_"Nice to meet you Mrs. Anderson. Thank you so much for inviting me this weekend."_

_"Very nice to meet you too Annie. Call me Jill, please."_ She hugged Annie quickly and then she turned her attention back to Auggie. "_August, will you please show Annie the guest room? I'm in the middle of cooking dinner and should be getting back to the kitchen."_

_"Sure Mom! Grab your bag and follow me Annie."_ Auggie grabbed the handle of his suitcase and walked towards the front door.

* * *

><p>Annie was standing in the guest room in Auggie's childhood home taking in her surroundings. It was nicer than most of the hotel rooms she'd stayed in and she couldn't help feeling a bit uncomfortable. Having grown up in military base housing this was a different league and she hoped she wouldn't make a fool of herself this weekend. She sighed deeply and turned her attention back to unpacking her bag.<p>

* * *

><p>After showing Annie the guest room and leaving his suitcase and messenger bag in his room Auggie headed downstairs and into the kitchen to find his mother. Annie had said she wanted to unpack and freshen up a bit before dinner.<p>

The smell of her homemade meatballs and tomato sauce assaulted his nose as he made his way through the dining room and entered the kitchen.

_"Hey Mom. Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight I guess?"_ Auggie asked as he entered the room.

_"As usual, I know it's your favorite."_ His mother replied from where she was working by the cooktop on the kitchen island. In a spur of the moment Auggie decided to follow Annie's advice and ask his mother to swap the spaghetti for penne.

_"Mom,"_ Auggie swallowed, trying his best to conceal his nerves. "_Would you mind swapping the spaghetti for penne?"_

_"Why?" _She sounded puzzled.

_"Um… It's just easier to eat when you can't see what you're doing."_ Auggie replied sheepishly.

_"Oh honey! I don't know why I didn't think about that myself. Why haven't you said anything sooner?"_ His mother's reaction was nothing like Auggie had expected.

_"Well, it's not a big deal and it's not like I can't deal with spaghetti, it's just a hassle and I'm always scared of ending the meal with half of it in my lap,"_ he admitted.

Auggie heard his mother rummaging in the pantry and then she came back towards him.

_"I'm sorry, we don't have penne. Are pasta screws ok?"_

_"Yeah, no problem."_ Auggie replied with a smile.

* * *

><p>There was a brief knock on the guestroom door.<p>

_"Come in!"_ Annie said. She'd finished unpacking and was about to go find Auggie.

The door opened and he entered with a big smile on his face.

_"What are you so happy about?"_ she asked.

_"You'll see at dinner,"_ he replied with a wink.

_"You grabbed the bull by the horns and it worked I take? Good for you Augs."_

_"I guess I should take your advice more often Walker,"_ he said as he pulled her in for a hug.


	8. Glencoe part 2

**First of all: I'm sorry it has taken a bit longer than planned to update. Things have been kind of crazy at work and I've worked 10-12 hr days for the last four days. This chapter was a challenge to write, I kind of got writers block, but here it is.**

**Second: Thanks for the reviews, story alerts etc. Greatly appreciated! :)**

**The next chapter is in the works, but still pretty rough, so I'm not sure when I'll post it. I'm also working on the next chapter in "Rebuilding a Life" which will probably be up tomorrow.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 8: Glencoe part 2-<span>**

Auggie woke Saturday morning feeling pretty happy with himself for crossing a boundary with his mother the previous day. Sure, it was just pasta, but for him it was a big step. He was pondering over how to approach the next obstacle; his brothers. That was a harder one. With a small sigh he got out of bed and padded into the bathroom.

Across the hall Annie was getting ready for the second day with Auggie's family. So far it had gone well and as far as she could tell there had been none of the awkward moments that Auggie feared. His parents had treated her like part of the family, they were warm and including and she immediately liked them. They were having lunch with Matt at 1 o'clock and in the evening all of Auggie's brothers and their wives coming for dinner. She looked forward to the lunch and getting to know Matt, but she was nervous about the dinner party and she had a feeling that Auggie was nervous too.

Just as she was getting lost in her thoughts there was a knock on her door and Auggie entered the room. _"Ready for breakfast?"_ he asked casually.

_"Sure! Lead the way."_ Annie said, looping her arm into his. As they easily made their way down to the breakfast area in the huge kitchen she was amazed at how freely Auggie navigated his childhood home without his cane, she could hardly believe he'd only been there a few times since being blinded. He was just as confident here as in his apartment and around the office.

_"Morning kids!"_ Auggie's father, Andrew greeted them from his place at the head of the table, putting his newspaper down. He looked like an older version of Auggie, with salt and pepper hair like his wife and steel rimmed glasses.

_"Good morning,"_ they replied as they sat down. Right on cue Jill approached the table carrying a coffee pot. She poured them coffee and went back to the stove to finish the scrambled eggs and bacon she was cooking.

_"So, what are your plans for the day?"_ Andrew asked.

_"Matt's taking us out for lunch and he offered to show Annie around Glencoe afterwards. Then there's the dinner party here tonight."_ Auggie replied.

The meal was spent with light banter. Auggie told his parents about life in DC and how he and Annie had ended up as roommates. It was a slightly different version of the story that didn't include the CIA. Everyone except for Matt thought Auggie worked as Head Software Developer at a private IT firm. They'd agreed to say that Annie worked with translating the software for the international market. So far it seemed like Auggie's parents bought the story.

* * *

><p>At 12:30 pm Matt arrived to pick them up. He took them to a small bistro in downtown Glencoe. While waiting for their food to arrive Auggie decided to confide in his brother, it wasn't that he didn't trust Annie, but after all she didn't know his family like Matt did.<p>

_"Matt, I've been thinking about something and I'd like your opinion,"_ he began, not sure how to approach it.

_"Sure Aug, what's on your mind?"_

_"As you know I haven't been here much since Tikrit."_

_"I know."_ Matt replied. _"I figured you just stay away because you feel awkward around the rest of the family."_

_"You're right about that. I think they're really uncomfortable around me, they don't know how to act and I hate how they just assume that I'm helpless and can't fend for myself. I also hate that they don't realize I'm still me."_

_"Well, what do you need my opinion on?"_

_"Annie and I talked about it last week and she thinks I should 'grab the bull by the horns' and do something about it. I think she's right, but I don't know how to approach it."_

Matt didn't reply immediately, he seemed to be thinking for a few seconds before answering_. "I think that sounds like a good idea, but I'm not really sure what's the best approach either, did you and Annie discuss any possibilities?"_

_"Well, Annie suggested that maybe I do a version of the chat I have with new people at work, with a few basic pointers on how to assist me; clock face method, basic sighted guide, not leaving stuff for me to trip over, letting me know if they're coming or leaving, that words like 'look' and 'see' aren't bad words. Stuff like that. What do you think? Is it too basic?"_

_"I actually think it's a good idea. After all, I did lessons with Chrissy and I was with you all the way from you arrived at Walter Reed and we spent lots of time together before I moved back here. Mom and Dad went to Hines for lessons there, but it's not the same as spending time around you. The rest of the family is pretty clueless about how to act around you, what you might need assistance with and that you're mostly capable of doing everything yourself I think. That's what makes things awkward."_

Their food arrived and conversation moved on to other subjects.

They spent the afternoon driving around the area. Auggie and Matt showed Annie their High School, the Country Club where they'd both worked as caddies during the summer and some of the sights of the area. They also told her about some of their childhood adventures. After taking them back to the house Matt went home to get his wife and son for the dinner party.

* * *

><p><em>"Annie, can I come in?"<em> Auggie knocked on the guest room door. The dinner party was starting soon and he was really nervous. He hoped a chat with Annie would calm his nerves.

_"Sure!"_ she replied. He entered the room and went to sit down on the edge of the bed. He didn't say anything; he just sat there.

_"Auggie, what's wrong? And don't tell me 'nothing', I can tell something is bothering you."_

_"I figured I should get the 'get to know the blind guy' session out of the way as soon as possible and I'm just really nervous I guess."_

_"You'll do fine, just be your usual, charming self."_ Annie nudged him teasingly with her elbow.

_"I can be pretty mesmerizing, can't I?"_ He replied with a smirk.

_"Yep!"_

The sound of the doorbell told them it was time to get downstairs.

_"Shall we?"_ Auggie rose from the bed and offered Annie his arm. She looped her arm into his and they headed downstairs.

* * *

><p>Thirty minutes later all of the guests had arrived and they were all gathered in the living room. Annie had been introduced to Auggie's three oldest brothers, Steven, John and Alex. Steven's wife Kate and their youngest daughter Christine were there, as well as John's wife Mandy. They were all polite, but none of them had the same warmth as Matt and Auggie's parents, she also noticed how insecure they all seemed to be around Auggie.<p>

Matt and his family had been the last ones to arrive. His wife Susannah was just as charming as her husband and she and Annie hit it off right away. Matt proudly showed off their three month old son, Alan. Annie noticed a wave of sadness washing over Auggie's face as he cradled the baby in his arms and carefully felt his tiny hands and face. It was probably one of the moments he wished he could see. Annie also noticed that everyone in the room was staring at Auggie, as if they were worried about something bad happening. Apparently he felt them staring and with a grin on his face he stated,_ "Relax! The blind guy isn't gonna hurt the baby."_ Then he turned to where Matt was standing. _"Matt, here you go."_ he said as he held the baby out to Matt. Matt took his son from his brother and Auggie turned to adress his family.

_"Listen, I want to talk to you. I know I haven't been around much since I was blinded three years ago. The main reason for that is that it's so awkward every time I'm here, it's just easier to stay away I guess. My friend Annie here opened my eyes, so to speak, and made me realize that staying away doesn't really help. Seeing me once every two years won't make you more comfortable around me. Or me around you for that matter."_ Auggie paused briefly and then he continued. _"I figured I'd give you a version of the chat I usually have with new members of staff at work, to give you a few pointers. First of all, I'm still Auggie. I'm the same person as I was three years ago; I haven't changed that much, I just can't see. I've adjusted to being blind. Sure, there are times when it sucks, but I'm ok with it. I'm done with pitying myself and I certainly don't want pity from anyone. Second, I can fend for myself, at least most of the time. I'm not helpless and if I need help I'll ask for it. I don't like it when people do stuff for me without asking because they just assume I'm not capable of it. Third words like 'see', 'look', 'watch' and so on are not bad words. I use them on a daily basis myself; I just have a different take on them. They don't offend me,"_ Auggie then gave them few pointers on assisting him. When he finished he joined Annie who was standing in the back of the room and whispered into her ear; _"So, was I mesmerizing enough? Do you think I won them over?"_

_"It looks like it. They seem less tense than before your speech."_

Through the meal conversation was flowing lightly across the dinner table. It seemed like Auggie's efforts had paid off, his brothers and the rest of the family seemed less tense than before his little 'speech'. Auggie, Steven and Alex was caught up in a lengthy discussion about some new record keeping software Alex had bought for his practice. Apparently it had its flaws and Auggie promised to have a look at it the next day. He was secretly thrilled that his brother had asked for his help with something. He couldn't remember the last time that happened. He actually looked forward to the rest of the weekend for the first time since arriving in Glencoe.


	9. Glencoe part 3

**Here's the final part of the trip to Glencoe. I hope you like it.**

**The next week 'real life' will be kind of crazy, I have two major deadlines at work and will probably be working into the wee hours of the night and won't have much time to write. Please don't be upset if I don't update before next weekend. I'll do my best to update sooner, but I seriously doubt if I'll be able to.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 9: Glencoe part 3-<span>**

_"Augs, you're amazing!"_ Alex exclaimed as he firmly squeezed his brother's shoulder. It was Sunday morning, they were sitting in Alex' office and Auggie had spent the past hour and half fixing the bug in his new software. It all seemed to be working flawlessly and Auggie was very happy with himself. It hadn't been very hard to fix when he finally found the problem, a few lines of code needed to be re-written, it was just sloppy work in his opinion. He'd also sent an email to the software company, letting them know about the problem and how to fix it. Alex had watched Auggie work and was amazed about how his brother was able to navigate a computer without seeing.

_"I know I am," _he replied with a self-satisfied smirk. _"I guess we're done here, or do you have any other computer issues you need me to look at while we're at it?"_

_"Well, the computer at the front desk has been acting weird for a couple of weeks. The receptionist has to restart it several times a day."_

_"I'll check it out, but you definitely owe me lunch. Is it turned on and connected to the office network so I can access it from my laptop?"_

_"I'll go turn it on, hang on for a second."_ Auggie heard his brother's footsteps going down the hall to the reception area and returning a few minutes later. _"It's on and connected."_ Auggie quickly accessed the computer through a remote desktop application on his laptop and he found the problems pretty fast. After about half an hour he'd finished removing some viruses and spyware.

_"Alex, you need to tell your receptionist to be more careful about opening email attachments and downloading stuff from the Internet. I've just removed several viruses and a couple of spyware programs. I've installed a firewall and some updated virus protection software that should do the trick."_

_"Thanks! I'll tell her first thing on Tuesday. She's great with the patients and she does a good job, but she's a bit of an airhead sometimes."_ Alex chuckled.

_"So, how 'bout that lunch?"_ Auggie asked as he started powering down his laptop and putting everything back into his messenger bag.

_"Sure, it's the least I can do. Ready to get going?"_

_"Yep!"_ Auggie got to his feet, slung his messenger bag across his body and unfolded his cane before heading in the direction of the door. He followed the sound of his brother's footsteps to the waiting room.

_"Just a sec Aug, I've gotta shut down the front desk computer before we leave."_ Alex quickly made his way into he reception area and a couple of minutes later he re-joined Auggie. He brushed his right hand against the back of Auggie's left and soon he was guiding Auggie to his car. Auggie was surprised about how quickly Alex had picked up basic sighted guide technique.

* * *

><p>When Alex dropped Auggie off at their parents house after lunch Auggie felt more at peace than he had in a long time. He'd actually enjoyed spending the morning helping his older brother and there had only been a couple of awkward moments during lunch, but they'd both been able to laugh about them afterwards. For the first time since being blinded he felt that his brother saw him as a capable person, not a helpless blind guy. It felt good. He headed upstairs to drop off his messenger bag in his room and went back downstairs to find Annie and his parents. He found them in the backyard.<p>

_"Hey guys! What's up?"_ he called out as he crossed the lawn to where they were sitting in the gazebo.

_"Hi Augs! Did you manage to sort out Alex' computer problems?"_ Annie asked, although Auggie's body language told her that the morning with his brother had been a good one. _"Chair about three feet ahead at your two o'clock."_

_"Yep! Apparently I'm amazing!"_ he replied with a smile as his cane hit the chair. He quickly assessed the chair and sat down while folding his cane. _"What have you been up to while I was gone?"_

_"Oh, I've learned an awful lot about you. Jill showed me your High School yearbooks and told me all kinds of stories about you growing up."_

_"Great… Thanks a lot Mom." _Auggie did his best to shoot his mother a dirty look, but he really wasn't that upset_. "Well Walker, I guess you owe me some embarrassing stories from your childhood, and they'd better be good. After all, you don't have to worry about me laughing at embarrassing pictures of you."_

* * *

><p>That evening Auggie went with his brothers and father to a Cubs game at Wrigley field. It was an Anderson family tradition that the men enjoyed a baseball game the Sunday before Labor Day and something that Auggie had always enjoyed before loosing his sight. Between an assistive listening device and his brothers and father relaying everything that happened on the field Auggie had a great time. The fact that the tension between him and his older brothers seemed to be subsiding made it even more enjoyable.<p>

Annie spent the evening with Susannah and Mandy at John and Mandy's house and she enjoyed getting to know Auggie's sisters in-law. She caught herself hoping to be part of the Anderson family sometime in the future. Her feelings for Auggie was only growing stronger after getting to know his family and learning more about his past.

########################

Late the same evening Annie was about to turn in for the night when Auggie knocked on the guest room door. _"Annie, are you decent? Can I come in?"_

_"Augs, it's not like you can see if I'm decent or not."_ Annie teased as she opened the door and let him in.

_"Oh har, very funny Miss Walker. I can still 'see', "_ he said while wiggling his fingers in her direction with a teasing grin on his face. _"Did you enjoy your evening? I hope it wasn't too awkward."_ He felt bad for pretty much abandoning Annie the whole day, after all he'd invited her to come to Glencoe. First he'd spent the morning with Alex and had lunch with him while Annie was stuck with his parents and then he'd gone to the game in the afternoon and after the game he'd gone to a bar with his brothers. He'd enjoyed himself so much that he didn't realize how late it was until they left the bar.

_"It was good. I really like Susannah and Mandy, we're about the same age and we actually have stuff to talk about."_ She sounded like she meant it. Auggie was relieved and didn't feel as bad when he said good night to Annie and headed to bed.

* * *

><p><em>"How do you want to do this Aug?"<em> Annie whispered. The Labor Day cookout was well underway and Auggie's mother and sister's in-law were setting up a big buffet and his father was in charge of the barbeque.

_"I'll follow you down the buffet, you tell me what the choices are and I tell you what to put on my plate, ok?"_

They did as Auggie suggested and ten minutes later they were seated at a round table on the deck. John, Mandy, Steven and Kate soon joined them. Annie noticed that they all announced their arrival and where they were sitting in relation to Auggie. Soon conversation was flowing lightly across the table. They were all curious about Annie and Auggie's life in DC.

_"I'm going to get another beer. Does anybody need anything?"_ Steven asked as he rose from his chair about half an hour into the meal.

"_Will you grab me a beer too Steve?"_ Auggie asked.

A few minutes later Steven returned carrying two bottles of beer.

_"Here you go Auggie,"_ he said as he brushed one of the bottles against the back of Auggie's right hand. _"Thanks Steven,"_ Auggie said as he grabbed the bottle with a smile. All of his brothers seemed to have paid attention to his little 'lecture' on Saturday and it had paid off. Annie had been right about grabbing the bull by the horns.

* * *

><p>Tuesday night they were back in DC. They'd gone to the cafe down the block for dinner and now they were both sitting on the couch watching the news. When the news ended Auggie turned towards Annie.<p>

_"Thank you,"_ was all he said. His voice was thick with emotion, but the tone was warm and sincere.

_"For what?"_ Annie was confused. What was Auggie thanking her for and why was he so emotional?

_"For this weekend, for opening my eyes, so to speak, for getting me to do something I should have done years ago, for helping me get reacquainted with my brothers and my parents. For helping me with making our relationship 'normal' again and getting them to realize I'm still me. I mean it Annie. If it weren't for you it would probably never have happened. You have no idea how thankful I am. I'm not sure I can ever repay you for what you have done for me."_

Annie was blown away; she'd never realized how much it meant to Auggie. Not knowing how to respond she simply leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. _"That's what friends are for,"_ she said quietly as she pulled away.

It was at that moment Auggie realized he loved Annie. He hadn't felt this deeply for any woman since Natasha. Without thinking Auggie pulled her back towards him and kissed her gently on the lips.


	10. I love you

**Sorry it has taken so long to update - this week turned out to be about twice as crazy as I expected it to be and I've had little or no time to write. I **_**hope**_** the next chapter will be up before Wednesday, but I won't make any promises.**

**Anyway, thanks for the feedback, story alerts and stuff on the previous chapter! Greatly appreciated and truly inspiring! :o)**

**Without further ado - here's chapter 10.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 10: I love you-<span>**

_"Annie, I love you."_ Auggie whispered the words into Annie's ear as they broke the kiss. To his surprise and pleasure she hadn't pulled away, she'd actually kissed him back. Annie was totally lost for words. Her feelings for Auggie had just grown stronger over the months they'd been roommates and she'd realized that she loved him some time during their stay in Glencoe. She pulled him towards her and kissed him again, then she cupped his face in her hands and said softly _"I love you too Auggie." _Then she pulled him in for another kiss. It was longer and more passionate than the previous two and it escalated quickly. Auggie easily carried Annie into his bedroom and for the rest of the night they were lost in their own world. There was no need for words.

* * *

><p>At 6:30 am Wednesday morning they were rudely woken by Auggie's alarm clock. Annie was cradled in Auggie's arms, with her head on his right shoulder and her left arm across his chest. It felt so right, so at home.<p>

_"Mornin' babe,"_ Auggie whispered as he planted a kiss on the top of Annie's head. Waking up with her in his arms was amazing.

_"Good morning handsome,"_ was Annie's reply as she kissed him on the cheek before lying back down, snuggling into the warmth of Auggie's body. They just lay there for a few minutes, and then the alarm started going off again. Auggie groaned. _"Guess we'd better get ready for work. I wish we could just stay right here all day, but I don't think Joan would be too happy if we both call in sick after having a few days off?"_ Auggie released his grip around Annie and sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. Annie followed suit.

_"Probably not, huh?"_ Annie chuckled as she got to her feet, wrapping Auggie's sheet around her.

_"Stealing my sheets Walker?"_ Auggie teased._ "I've already 'seen' everything, so no need to be shy,"_ he said as he grabbed her and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

_"Har har Aug."_ Annie said, as they pulled apart. _"I don't wanna give the poor old lady next door a heart attack. The blinds in my bedroom aren't closed."_ She kissed Auggie quickly and headed for her room to get ready.

####################

_"How long?"_ Auggie asked as he finished the last of his cereal.

_"Huh?"_ Annie was confused.

_"How long have you had feelings for me?"_

_"For a while now, in some ways I think I fell in love with you the first time I met you. I realized I had feelings beyond friendship a few months ago, but I didn't realize that I love you until this weekend."_

_"Hmm… And what kept you from sharing those feelings?"_

_"I didn't wanna ruin the best relationship I ever had. You are my best friend and I was afraid I'd mess everything up if the feelings weren't mutual. That things would be awkward and we'd drift apart. You haven't exactly expressed those feelings yourself. How long have __you__ had feelings for __me__?"_

_"Since the moment you asked me about my headphones and I thought you asked about how I lost my sight and over shared. The way you've never been fazed by my blindness, that you saw me, Auggie, not 'the blind guy' blew me away from the first time we met. I realized just last night how deeply I feel, but I've had feelings for you for a long time. I guess I didn't share for the same reasons as you. I was afraid of losing my best friend too."_ Auggie admitted.

_"Oh Auggie,"_ Annie got up and wrapped her arms around Auggie's shoulders. He rose from his seat and turned to face Annie, wrapping his arms around her.

_"So Walker, wanna be my girlfriend?"_ Auggie had a huge grin across his face.

_"Why do I feel like I'm back in Junior High?"_ Annie teased. _"Yes Augs, I wanna be your girlfriend. I think a date would be appropriate you know."_

_"I'm the king of dates!" _he replied with one of his signature smirks.

* * *

><p>A week and a half later, late Friday afternoon Auggie's regular car service picked him up from work. Annie was on her way home from a mission in Germany and was due back in a couple of hours. He couldn't wait to hold her in his arms again, to have her snuggle into his chest at night. They'd only gotten three nights together before Annie left for her mission and he'd missed her more than ever before. Annie going away on mission wasn't exactly something new, but since they finally came clean about their feelings he didn't just miss her company, he longed for her. More than he'd ever longed for a woman in his life. More than he'd longed for Tash after he broke up with her. He hoped she liked what he'd planned for the evening.<p>

Annie was on her way home and she couldn't wait to be back in Auggie's arms again. He'd sent her a text message, telling her he'd pick her up at the airport and that she'd better be ready for their first date. Although tired from both the mission and the flight she was excited. It would be her first real date with Auggie and he'd proclaimed to be the king of dates a week and a half earlier. She felt butterflies fluttering around in her stomach.

################

An hour later the plane touched down and another forty minutes later Annie entered the arrivals hall. She looked for Auggie and there he was, half leaning on his cane, carrying a huge bouquet of red roses, and looking strikingly handsome in a dark suit. She hurried over to him and flung her arms around him.

Auggie was startled by the sudden arrival of Annie, he hadn't really caught her steps approaching, there were too many sounds distracting him. When his nose caught the familiar smell of Jo Malone Grapefruit and Annie he pulled her close and kissed her.

_"Auggie, I've missed you more than you could ever imagine!"_ Annie whispered into his ear as he hugged her after they broke the kiss.

_"I've missed you too Annie!" _Auggie replied, pulling her in closer. _"Are you ready for our first date?"_

_"Hells yeah!" _Annie replied.

_"Here ya' go! My mother told me to bring a girl flowers on our first date,"_ he said with a grin, pushing the bouquet of roses in Annie's direction.

_"Your mother taught you well Mr. Anderson,"_ Annie said, taking the roses from Auggie and burying her face in them, taking in the scent_. "I've always loved roses! Thanks Aug!"_ Annie planted a kiss on his cheek.

* * *

><p>Auggie had taken her to a small Italian restaurant in Georgetown where they'd enjoyed a nice dinner and shared a bottle of wine. Auggie had caught Annie up on what was going on around the office and Annie had shared a few stories from Germany. When the waiter came to ask if they wanted dessert Annie placed her hand on Auggie's forearm and said apologetically, <em>"Sorry Augs, I'm beat. Can we please go home?"<em>

Auggie smiled at her and asked the waiter for the check.

_"I'm the one that should be apologizing. I was so exited about your return that I forgot that you're probably totally exhausted and jet-lagged."_

_"It's ok Aug, I was doing fine, but all of a sudden it just hit me I guess. All I want for dessert is to get back to the apartment; go to bed and snuggle into your arms."_ Annie squeezed Auggie's arm.

_"Well, I can live with that dessert Walker. I've been longing for you in my arms since you left a week ago."_ Auggie got his iPhone out and texted his car service driver that he could pick them up in 10 minutes.

They spent the night snuggling into each other. Annie was to exhausted to even think about making love, and even though Auggie's libido was driving him somewhat crazy he managed to convince himself to be content with having Annie next to him again, in his arms. His Annie, wonderful, sweet Annie. With that thought lingering in his mind Auggie drifted off to sleep.


	11. The first step

**Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter :o) I truly appreciate them as well as the story alerts and favorite stories!**

**Here's your reward! A rainy Sunday with nothing to do for a change gave me the time to write and things just came together. I got lucky and my beta had some time on her hands and got back to me within record time.**

**Hope to have the next chapter up by mid-week, but no promises.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 11: The first step -<span>**

The next couple of months flew by; their work schedules were crazier than ever. Annie was out of the country on several missions, including a month long mission in Prague. The time apart only seemed to make her and Auggie's feelings for each other grow stronger and they both became more and more sure of the fact that the other was the one person they wanted to share their life with. Every fear they had about taking the relationship to the next level had been wiped out. Auggie was still Annie's best friend, her St. Bernard, the cute, dependable one that was always there for her and Annie was still the best friend that brought a smile to Auggie's face and made every day he spent with her an adventure. There was one thing that bothered Annie though; the fact that Danielle still hadn't come around. It had been almost four months since she moved out and she hadn't heard a word from her sister. With the Holiday season coming up it was getting harder and harder to deal with.

_"Aug, can I ask your advice on something?" _Annie was half sitting in bed, trying to read a book, but her mind kept wandering. On the opposite side of the bed Auggie was drifting off to sleep. The last 72 hours had been crazy for him and the Tech Ops crew with a high-risk mission in Colombia on the verge of going to hell. He'd spent the previous two nights at Langley, only catching a few of hours of sleep on the sofa in the staff room. It all turned out well, but it had been three hard days and he was exhausted. Annie felt bad for bothering him, but she just couldn't hold it in any longer.

_"What?"_ he grunted into his pillow_. "Can't we talk about it in the morning?"_

_"Sorry… "_ Annie's voice trailed off and she did her best to stifle a sniffle. She didn't succeed, Auggie's well-trained ears picked it up and he turned towards her, suddenly wide-awake.

_"Annie, what's the matter?"_

_"I'm just being a big baby. I just feel so lost without Danielle, especially with the Holidays coming up. It's been months without a single word and I really miss her."_

_"Hon, you're not being a baby, you're being human. I have to admit I'm kind of' surprised myself, I really expected Danielle to come around sooner."_ Auggie said as he put his arm around Annie. _"Now, I don't think you're getting anywhere with that book, I haven't heard a page turn for a while, so why don't we try and catch some sleep and we'll talk about this in the morning when we're both rested?"_

Knowing Auggie was right she put the book on the bedside table and turned off the lamp. Auggie pulled her close and she snuggled into him, resting her head on his shoulder.

_"Night babe,"_ Auggie said as he kissed her forehead gently.

_"Night Augs!"_

Auggie fell asleep almost instantly. The sound of his calm breathing, the warmth of his body and the familiar smell of him soothed Annie and she soon drifted off as well.

* * *

><p>The next morning Auggie woke to the smell of pancakes and bacon assaulting his nose. It was Saturday, Annie was making his favorite breakfast and they both had the next couple of days off. The thought of spending the next couple of days with Annie brought a smile to his face.<p>

_"Aug, breakfast is ready!"_ Annie came in to the bedroom as Auggie was getting out of bed. _"What are you so happy about?"_ she asked when she saw the smile on Auggie's face.

_"The fact that I get to spend the next two days with you!"_ he replied as he crossed the floor to the door where Annie was standing and pulled her in for a kiss. _"I love you Annie!"_

_"I love you too Aug! Now, how 'bout we have some breakfast? I'm starving!"_

###################

Over breakfast Auggie was the one that broached the subject of Danielle.

_"As I said last night I'm actually surprised Danielle hasn't come around and I'm starting to think that maybe you have to make a move. I figured it was best to give her some space and let her come around when she was ready, but now I'm not so sure."_

Annie sighed and had a couple of bites of pancake before responding.

_"I've been thinking the same thing, but I'm not sure about how I should approach it."_

_"Well, maybe you should take your own advice and 'grab the bull by the horns'? Just call her and ask how the girls are doing, just general stuff. Maybe invite them over for lunch or something like that. I don't really know, I guess you'll just have to see where the conversation goes before making your next move. I don't think you should push it too hard. That might drive her even further away."_

_"Yeah, I know I've gotta be careful not to push it. Let's finish breakfast and get dressed. Maybe my head will be clearer after a couple of more cups of coffee and a shower."_

They finished the meal in silence and Auggie insisted on clearing off the table since Annie had cooked. Annie headed into her room to shower and get dressed.

####################

When she entered the living room forty minutes later she found Auggie sitting on one of the stools by the kitchen island, with his iPad and portable Braille display catching up on the news like he usually did after breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays. His hair was still damp and he was wearing a pair of dark jeans and a black V-neck sweater over a gray t-shirt. Annie couldn't help staring. She never got over how lucky she was to be with the wonderful, handsome man in front of her. He was everything she ever hoped for in a man – and more.

_"I can feel you staring!"_ Auggie looked up from the iPad and seemed to be staring straight at her.

_"Sorry, I just can't get over how lucky I am to be with you." _Annie said as she crossed the living room and put her arms around Auggie.

_"The feeling is mutual babe,"_ was his reply as he put his arms around her and kissed her.

They spent the rest of the morning picking up the apartment before going for lunch at the cafe down the block. After lunch they went to the supermarket for groceries. During the drive home from the supermarket it crossed Auggie's mind that after moving in with Annie his life was becoming remarkably 'normal', as normal as it had been since Tikrit. It felt good. Annie was lost in thoughts about how to approach her sister. After the conversation with Auggie over breakfast she'd decided to go ahead and call Danielle and she planned on getting that phone call out of the way that same afternoon.

* * *

><p><em>"Well, here we go."<em> Annie said to Auggie as she dialed Danielle's number. They were sitting on the sofa; Auggie was holding her free hand. Annie was more nervous about calling her sister than she was about going out on a possibly dangerous mission.

After three rings Danielle picked up the phone.

_"Hello."_

_"Danielle, it's Annie."_ Annie's voice was trembling slightly and Auggie squeezed her hand reassuringly. When Danielle didn't immediately respond Annie's heart sunk.

_"Annie. How are you?"_ Danielle spoke after a few long seconds of silence. She sounded surprisingly normal.

_"Really good actually, except for missing you, Michael and the girls. How are you guys doing?"_ Annie's voice was still trembling.

_"Everything's fine here. The girls are good and Michael seems to be doing well at work, looks like he'll be promoted some soon. We've missed you too. The girls miss their Aunt Annie. How are being roommates with Auggie going?"_

_"Great. He's the best roommate ever!"_ Annie couldn't bring herself to tell Danielle about their relationship over the phone, but her voice gave her away.

_"And? I get a feeling there's more to the story." _Danielle's big sister radar kicked in, she knew Annie wasn't telling her everything.

_"And we're going out. I love him Dani, I really do."_ As Annie finished her sentence Auggie squeezed her hand and kissed it. _"Anyway, do you guys have plans tomorrow? Wanna come over for lunch and catch up?"_

_"If we can make it dinner we're on. The girls have a play date in the morning. Is 5 o'clock ok?"_

_"Sounds good. We'll see you then. Love you Dani!"_

_"See you tomorrow. Tell Auggie I said hi! Love you too." _The line went dead.

_"I take it that went pretty well?"_ Auggie said as soon as he heard the sound of the phone being put down on the coffee table.

_"Yeah. They're all coming over for dinner tomorrow at 5 o'clock. The girls have a play date in the morning, so they couldn't make it for lunch. Danielle told me to tell you she said hi."_

_"Good! See, what did I tell you?"_ Auggie smirked.

_"Well, you weren't all confident about it this morning, but thanks for pushing me to take the first step. I've got to admit I'm a bit nervous about tomorrow, but at least she didn't hang up and she's willing to come over."_

_"The first step is always the hardest. You'll be fine, I don't know Danielle all that well, but from what I know I don't think she'd be coming over if she wasn't interested in getting back in your life."_

_"I don't think so either, but I'm still nervous."_

_"Hey Sugar Plum, don't worry so much!"_ Auggie grinned as he pulled Annie into a kiss. Annie giggled, that silly nickname always made her laugh.


	12. Planning the Holidays

**First of all: I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. My life has been crazy this past week, work has kept me busy and a few personal issues as well.**

**Thanks for the feedback on the previous chapter. I sincerely apologize for not replying to your reviews like I usually do, I just didn't have the time.**

**I seriously have no idea when the next chapter will be up, might happen soon, might take a while.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 12: Planning the Holidays-<span>**

_"I think that went pretty well,"_ Auggie said while rinsing their dinner plates and placing them carefully in the dishwasher. Danielle and her family had left half an hour ago, the girls had been ecstatic about seeing their Aunt Annie again and Chloe was thrilled when Auggie was there too. She'd loved him since he gave her class a tour at the Smithsonian. Auggie and Michael had entertained the girls for a while so Danielle and Annie could have some privacy and talk. The air was cleared between Annie and her older sister and Annie was very happy about that.

_"Yeah, I guess so. Danielle actually apologized for the silent treatment, she even told me I could move back to the guesthouse if I wanted to."_

_"I hope you didn't take her up on that offer."_ Auggie set down the plate in his hand on the counter and made his way over to where Annie was standing, putting the leftovers from dinner in plastic containers. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her head gently. Annie popped the lid onto the last container and turned around to face Auggie, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

_"Of course I didn't silly. I love you and I love living with you. I'm done with living in my sisters guesthouse, but I'm very happy that we're speaking again."_

_"I'm happy that you're happy and I love you too,"_ he said as he leaned down and kissed her. The kiss was long and passionate and when Auggie started to unbutton her shirt Annie pulled back.

_"Hey, let's finish putting away the food and loading the dishwasher before we get all carried away, ok?"_

Auggie reluctantly let go of her and with a groan he made his way back to the dishwasher and finished loading it, added the soap and turned it on. Annie put the containers with the leftovers of their dinner into the fridge.

_"Augs, do you wanna put Braille labels on the containers?"_

_"Nah, we'll probably be eating it together right? If not my nose works quite well, I think I can tell the difference between lasagna and tomato salad,"_ he replied with a self-confident smirk.

_"You think?"_ Annie teased; it didn't wipe the smirk off Auggie's face.

_"Come here babe,"_ Auggie said as he reached out for her hand, clearly heading for the bedroom. Annie quickly flipped off the lights and took his hand, letting him lead her for a change.

* * *

><p><em>"Have you thought about what where we're spending the Holidays?"<em> Annie asked Auggie a couple of days later. Thanksgiving was approaching fast and Christmas wasn't that far away either.

_"Not really. Mom is pushing for us, to come to Glencoe for at least one of them. She'd prefer to have us for both, but I told her I'm not making two more holiday trips to Glencoe this year. I don't even know if I'll be making one more to be honest, fighting the crowds at the airports is just too much of a hassle during the coming season."_ Auggie had told his family that he and Annie were in a relationship and they all seemed to be happy for them and not very surprised.

_"Well, Danielle has invited us for both as well, she just called me yesterday. How about Thanksgiving at Dani's and Christmas in Glencoe? You could spend some more time with your brothers and I'd love to get to know your family better."_

Auggie didn't reply immediately, it had just hit him that Thanksgiving at Danielle's probably meant meeting Annie's parents. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that. He'd suffered through a couple of awkward 'meet the parents' sessions since he lost his sight and it was just something he didn't want to experience again.

_"What Aug? Don't you wanna spend Thanksgiving at Danielle's?"_

_"It's not that. I'd love to spend Thanksgiving at Danielle's, it just hit me, will your parents be there as well?"_

_"Yeah, they're coming. Why?"_

_"Well, the last time I was in a serious relationship…"_ Auggie hesitated. _"Well, let's just say her parents weren't exactly thrilled about their daughter dating a blind guy. I actually overheard a whispered conversation between them where the word 'cripple' came up several times. She dumped me a week later,"_ he finished, clearly embarrassed.

_"Oh Auggie! My parents know you are blind. They also know that I love you very much and that you are a capable, independent person."_ Annie grabbed his hand. "_How could anyone refer to you as a cripple? Sure, your disability does put some limitations on you, like you can't drive, but most of the time I don't even think about the fact that you're blind. You're Auggie. The man that I love, the strongest, smartest, bravest, kindest, most dependable and loving man I've ever met. My rock."_

Auggie didn't know what to say, Annie's ability to pull him out of his dark spots never ceased to amaze him. He simply pulled her in to a kiss. As they broke the kiss he whispered, _"I love you so much,"_ in her ear.

_"So, the holidays. Are we agreed on Thanksgiving with my family and Christmas with yours?"_ Annie asked.

_"Okay, I guess it makes more sense to go to Glencoe over Christmas. We'll ask Joan for the week between Christmas and New Year off. We could fly out on the 23rd or 24th and back home the Sunday after New Year and be back at work on Monday."_

_"Sounds like a plan to me. We'll talk to Joan tomorrow and put in a request for some vacation time. I know I have plenty of vacation days saved up, and I'm pretty sure it's the same thing with you, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?"_

_"It shouldn't. I actually had to take a week off when we moved because I was about to lose those days, remember? I've manned Tech Ops for most Holidays since I returned, so I think the guys will be shocked when the find out I'm not doing it this year."_

_"Well, as Head of Tech Ops you should have some benefits, right? Like assigning the Holidays to your team?"_

_"You think so?"_ Auggie replied with a smirk.

* * *

><p>Joan had approved their requests for time off without objecting, she'd actually expressed that she was happy that Auggie wouldn't lock himself in Tech Ops over the Holidays this year. Auggie still had his reservations about meeting Annie's parents, but he was a bit comforted by the fact that Annie was so clearly in love with him and that Danielle and Michael didn't seem fazed by his disability. They seemed to be able to see the person behind the white cane and he hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Walker would be as open-minded as their daughters. Still, the bad memories from the last time he was introduced to a girlfriend's parents wouldn't completely go away. Annie could sense Auggie's apprehension and promised herself to do whatever she could to make sure her parents greeted Auggie as warmly as his parens had greeted her. She was looking forward to the Holiday season this year, especially spending Christmas with Auggie's family.<p> 


	13. Thanksgiving

**Thanks for the feedback on the previous chapter and sorry for not replying to your reviews. I just haven't found the time.**

**I'm on a roll, so here's the next chapter - Auggie meets Annie's parents :o)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 13: Thanksgiving-<span>**

_"Annie, do I look presentable?"_ Auggie asked as he straightened his tie.

_"Just a sec Aug, let me finish putting on my make up."_ Annie replied from the bathroom. A couple of minutes later she entered the bedroom. Auggie was wearing a pair of dark grey dress slacks, a light purple shirt, a striped tie in two shades of purple and he was pulling a dark grey cashmere sweater over his head.

_"Wow Auggie, you look like you should be in a fashion magazine."_ Annie gushed. Her blind boyfriend's ability to dress fashionable never ceased to amaze her. She had never seen him wear a mismatched outfit. She knew all of his clothes were labeled and that his closet was organized in a specific way, but it still amazed her.

_"Well thanks babe," _he replied with a smirk. _"I wanna make a good first impression, don't wanna come across as the blind guy with no sense of style."_

_"Well handsome, you don't have to worry about that. You're always stylish."_ Annie patted his arm reassuringly; she knew he was nervous. Then she looked at Auggie's hair, it was a mess. _"Although, your hair is a mess. To my knowledge you own both a hairbrush and a comb."_

Auggie laughed and headed for the bathroom. A couple of minutes later he emerged, his efforts hadn't really paid off. Annie giggled and grabbed Auggie's hand, tugging him towards the bathroom again.

_"C'mere Aug, I'll sort it out. Your hair is still pretty much a mess, did you even try to fix it?"_

_"Well, it's not like I can see myself in the mirror, is it?"_ he fake pouted, following her into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>An hour later Annie pulled into the drive in front of the Brooks' house in Georgetown. It was weird being back, she hadn't been there since she moved out. She took a deep breath and unbuckled her seatbelt.<p>

_"Ready Augs?"_ she asked Auggie.

_"As ready as I'll ever be,"_ he replied with a shrug. He got out of the car, unfolded his cane and waited for Annie to lead him into the house. He'd only been there a couple of times and it was pretty much unfamiliar territory, meaning he'd probably come across as helpless and inept. He decided on keeping his cane out, it would hopefully stop him from tripping over something or crashing into a doorjamb. He sighed, his instructor Chrissy had been right back in rehab; the cane had become his best friend, but Auggie also saw it as his enemy because it drew attention to his disability. Over the years he'd come to the conclusion that it was better to have the cane drawing attention to him than him falling on his face. Tripping over a chair or a plant was certainly not a good way of showing people he was capable of getting around on his own.

Seeing the look on his face Annie instantly knew something was bothering Auggie. She walked around the car and stopped in front of him, placing her hand on top of the hand that was resting on top of his cane.

_"Auggie, what's wrong? I know you're nervous, but you look like you're walking to your execution or something."_

_"Um…I just realized that this place is pretty much unfamiliar territory, meaning I'll spend the day looking like a bumbling fool. Great way of making a good first impression on your folks."_

_"Hon, I'll be at your side all day, so don't worry about that." _Annie reached up and kissed him gently on the cheek. _"Let's get inside,"_ she said as she brushed the back of Auggie's left hand. He gripped her elbow and they headed for the front door.

After the initial hugs Annie introduced Auggie to her parents.

_"Mom, Dad, this is August Anderson, my boyfriend."_

Auggie shifted his cane into his left hand and extended his right in what he hoped was the direction of the Walker's. He was soon rewarded with a firm handshake.

_"James Walker, pleasure to meet you August,"_ a booming bass voice said.

_"Likewise Mr. Walker. Please call me Auggie,"_ Auggie said with his most charming smile. When they broke the handshake Annie whispered "three o'clock" in his ear and he extended his hand to Annie's mother. A soft female hand soon took it.

_"Louise Walker. Very nice to finally meet the man Anne speaks so warmly about."_ Auggie thought she sounded just like her daughter, just a bit older.

_"Very nice to meet you too Mrs. Walker."_

Auggie was relieved after the introductions were made. Annie's parents sounded like they were genuinely happy to meet him.

##################

They enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving meal. With a little bit of assistance from her mother Danielle had prepared a real feast. Conversation during dinner had been flowing easily and as far as Annie could tell there hadn't been any awkward moments for Auggie. He actually seemed to loosen up a bit during the meal and her parents didn't seem fazed by his disability at all. They treated him as warmly and normally as she'd prayed for. After dinner they settled in the living room to watch the Macy's parade on TV. Annie's father asked Auggie how he lost his sight. Auggie took a few seconds to gather his thoughts before answering. He decided to go for the IED disguised as a dead dog story, after all most of the truth was still classified. Conversation then moved over to what he did for a living. Annie had told him that everyone knew she was CIA, after she read Danielle in she'd decided to tell her parents as well, and since he knew she'd told her mother they were co-workers a while back he opted for the truth.

_"I'm Head of Technical Operations at the same division as Annie at the CIA. I'm usually her handler, the voice in her ear, when she's out in the field. I was a field officer like Annie before I went back to Iraq. When I came back blind my boss pulled some strings to keep me on. Lucky for me I've always been good with computers; it was part of why I was requited by the CIA in the first place, combined with my physique. I've got a Masters degree in Computer Science from MIT and those skills combined with my experience in the field got me the job I have to day."_

_"But how do you use a computer when you can't see?"_ Annie's mother asked. There was an honest curiousity in her voice, not doubt or pity.

_"Takes some specialized software and a piece of hardware called a refreshable Braille display."_ Auggie briefly explained how the software and Braille display worked.

###################

After a while Auggie excused himself to go to the bathroom. Annie had discreetly shown him where it was when they arrived and with the aid of his cane he easily found his way there without assistance. After doing his business he washed his hands and headed back into the living room. He paused for a second when he heard his name mentioned. "Great, here it comes," he thought, the memories of his last girlfriends parents were all too vivid.

_"Auggie seems like a very nice guy, Anne,"_ he heard her mother say.

_"He is Mom, he really is. We were best friends for a long time before we finally confided our feelings. He is really a great guy."_ Auggie smiled to himself at Annie gushing out about her feelings for him. "_You know, he was very nervous and a bit hesitant about coming here today,"_ she continued, making Auggie cringe. "Damnit, it was all going pretty well, so much for that," he thought.

_"Why?"_ her father asked.

_"Well, the last time he was in a serious relationship the girls parents didn't exactly appreciate the fact that their daughter was dating a blind man. He was actually referred to as a cripple by her parents and a week later she dumped him."_

Breaths of disbelief reached Auggie's ears. Annie's mother was the first who spoke.

_"How incredibly rude and narrow minded of them,"_ she said indignantly. _"Auggie's not a cripple! He seems like a very capable and independent man. Sure, I saw the little cues you give him, the discreet guiding, but that doesn't make him a cripple. Actually I think it's great that he's comfortable enough with his disability to accept some assistance to make his life easier."_

_"I totally agree with your mother Anne,"_ Mr. Walker said. _"You seem to make each other happy and if you decide to take your relationship to the next step, I'd be proud to have Auggie as a son in-law."_ Annie's mother echoed the last statement.

Auggie couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had feared the worst and hoped for the best and was prepared for something in between and ere he was; getting the best. He had to stand there for a moment to gather himself before he went back into the living room.

* * *

><p><em>"So Aug, we survived Thanksgiving with my family,"<em> Annie said, as they were getting ready for bed late that evening. _"It wasn't all that bad, was it?"_

_"Actually, it was great Annie. Better than I could have ever imagined."_ Auggie said with a bright smile.

_"Wow, that's good. I take it you think my parents aren't all that bad then?"_

_"I actually like them and I'm getting to know Michael better as well. It's very different from my big family, but it's nice. It's easier for me to keep up with everything that's going on."_

_"That's great Auggie! Mom and Dad really liked you too. When you were in the bathroom they both expressed that they'd be proud to have you as a son in-law if we decide to get married some time in the future."_

_"I heard,"_ Auggie said quietly.

_"You heard?"_ Annie was confused.

_"I was heading back from the bathroom when I heard my name and I kind of froze. Old memories came to the surface. I guess I didn't have anything to fear."_ Auggie said as he pulled on a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt.

_"I told you that before, silly. I'm happy my parents didn't prove me wrong. Now, let's get to bed. I'm tired, it's been a long day."_

They got to bed and within minutes they drifted off to sleep, Annie was curled against Auggie. He felt more at peace than he had in a long time and he was actually looking forward to spending Christmas in Glencoe and spending time with his family. Maybe not manning Tech Ops over the Holidays wasn't such a bad thing.


	14. Fever

**Thanks again for the reviews and alerts on the previous chapter! :o) Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!**

**This chapter just kind of came to me, it's just a filler chapter, nothing that really drives the story forward. The next chapter is in the works and will probably be up sometime this weekend. We're heading for Glencoe again!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 14: Fever-<span>**

One thing Auggie hated was being sick and thankfully he was rarely sick. In the little over three years he'd been Head of Tech Ops he'd taken out a grand total of two sick days and the only reason he'd stayed at home was because Joan had ordered him to. If it had been up to him he would have gone to work. So when he woke up one Wednesday morning in the middle of December coughing, the worst headache he'd had since the days right after the explosion in Tikrit pounding in his head, a sore throat, a runny nose and a fever he still had every intention of going to the office. He just needed a couple of painkillers, a few cups of coffee and a shower and he'd be just fine. He groaned as he sat up in bed. Pulling the covers off he swung his legs off the side of the bed. He shivered and his first thought was to get back under the thick feather duvet. Instead he rose from bed quickly. He regretted the motion instantly; he was feeling dizzy and his head was spinning. He sat down on the edge of the bed for a few minutes, and then he slowly got up and padded into the bathroom.

In the guest room, Annie was fast asleep in her old bed. Auggie had been coughing all night and it kept her awake. She'd gotten home from a rough mission in St. Petersburg the previous day, and being exhausted from the mission and the plane ride back home she desperately needed some sleep. After being woken by her boyfriend's coughs, his hogging the covers (which was usually her thing) and his tossing and turning in bed for what felt like the millionth time, she'd gotten up and moved into the guest room. She felt kind of bad for abandoning Auggie, but she was desperately in need of sleep and she'd realized that she wasn't getting any of that if she stayed in the same bed as him.

After a quick shower Auggie shaved, using his electric shaver. He preferred a regular razor, but his hands were shaking and he didn't want to risk getting razor cuts all over his face. After shaving, blow drying his hair and brushing his teeth he headed into the closet to get dressed. He was shivering and put on a pair of wool long johns under his jeans, and a wool jersey under a thick wool turtleneck sweater. The outfit wasn't something he'd normally wear to the office, but he was freezing and knowing that the AC kept the temperature in his office at about 65 degrees because of all of the electronic equipment he decided that his normal jeans and shirt attire wouldn't cut it, especially since he spent most of the day sitting in his office chair typing. He'd probably be clattering his teeth through the day, and that was not an option. When he finished getting dressed he went back into the bedroom and when he walked around the bed to kiss Annie good morning he found nothing there. At first he was startled, she'd arrived home late last night and they'd gone to bed together. Joan had given her the rest of the week off, so there was no reason for her to be up and about already. Then his fuzzy brain remembered something – Annie had kissed him on the cheek and said something about the guest room in the middle of the night. He'd been keeping her awake with his coughing and she'd gone to sleep in her old bed. He headed for the kitchen to put on the coffee maker. He let his right hand trail the wall to keep his bearings; he was feeling more than slightly off and almost felt like getting his cane to keep himself out of trouble.

* * *

><p>The sound of porcelain crashing to the floor and Auggie shouting <em>"Damnit"<em> from the kitchen woke Annie. She pulled off the covers, pulled on her robe and a pair of slippers before she quickly made her way into the living room. Auggie was standing by the kitchen island with the remains of a mug surrounding his feet. Luckily he was wearing shoes. He looked like shit and Annie's first thought was to get him back to bed. He sure as hell wasn't going to work in that state.

_"Auggie, are you alright? What happened?"_ The sound of Annie's voice obviously startled him. His stuffy nose had put another one of his senses out of business.

_"Fine, I'm just feeling a little off today. Put the mug too close to the edge of the counter. I'll do my best to clean up the mess, but I might need your eyes to make sure I haven't missed anything."_ His voice was hoarse.

_"Don't worry about it. I'm taking you back to bed in a minute and then I'll sort this out."_ Annie grabbed his hand and guided him carefully around the remains of the mug and put his hand on the back of one of the stools by the kitchen island. He reluctantly took a seat. Annie poured another mug of coffee and placed it in front of Auggie, making sure to brush it against the back of his hand so he'd know to take it.

_"Here, have some coffee while I go check on the bed, I have a feeling I need to change the sheets before you get back in."_

_"I'm going to work, car service will be here in,"_ Auggie flipped open his watch and checked the time, _"15 minutes to take me to Langley."_

_"You're sick Auggie. You look like shit. You're not going to work today."_

_"Gee, thanks darling,"_ Auggie replied. "_I'm going to work. I'm fine, just a sore throat and a stuffy nose, no biggie."_

_"Auggie, stop being so damn stubborn. You're burning up, you have a fever."_ Annie put her hand on his forehead. He quickly brushed her hand away.

_"No I don't have a fever."_

_"Oh, so you're just wearing that thick wool sweater and you're still shivering because it's so cold in here? FYI I'm wearing a silk nightgown and silk robe and I'm perfectly comfortable. You're obviously not well Auggie. Now, call your car service and cancel the car and then Joan and tell her you're sick before I do it, and believe me Auggie I __will__ call her. You are not leaving this apartment today, that's final." _Annie's no-nonsense tone made Auggie realize he'd lost. To be honest he didn't really mind. He was feeling like shit and spending the day in bed didn't sound like such a bad idea. Especially knowing that Annie would be home with him.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later Annie had put fresh sheets on the bed, she'd gone for a set of Auggie's flannel sheets, and she'd added an extra blanket between the top sheet and the duvet since Auggie was shivering. She'd also cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. While Annie was doing that Auggie had called the car service to cancel his car and then he'd reluctantly called Joan to call in sick. She wasn't surprised; he hadn't been looking well for a few days. She'd told him to take his time and get well; he was not allowed back in the office until Monday. Instead of protesting Auggie had thanked her and hung up the phone. He knew all to well that between Annie and Joan he couldn't win.<p>

_"C'mere Aug."_ Annie grabbed his hand and headed for the bedroom. He followed without protesting. Annie placed a pair of sleep pants and a long sleeved jersey in his hands and ordered him to change and go to bed. He did as he was told and when he was comfortable in bed Annie approached him with a thermometer in her hand.

_"Open your mouth,"_ she ordered.

Looking utterly puzzled Auggie obeyed and felt a thermometer being slid under his tongue; a while later it beeped and it was removed from his mouth.

_"You have fever; 102,3 to be exact. You're sick buster."_

_"I guess so,"_ he croaked sheepishly while pulling the covers closely around his body. The flannel sheets were soft and warm against his skin and soon he drifted off to sleep again.

######################

_"Auggie, honey,"_ Annie was gently touching his shoulder.

_"What?"_ he groaned hoarsely, not opening his eyes, he just wanted to sleep.

_"I'm going to the pharmacy to get some cough medicine and a few other things. I also need to stop by the supermarket for a few things. I've put a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers on your bedside table if you need it, along with a box of Kleenex. I'll be back in an hour or so. Will you be ok?"_

_"I'm a big boy, I've been sick before, so don't worry about me. I'm not going to run off to the office while you're gone."_

_"You better not! I'll be back soon. Love you!" _Annie kissed his cheek and left.

#######################

When she returned to the apartment an hour and a half later she dropped her purchases off on the kitchen counter and then she headed for the bedroom to check on Auggie. He was buried under the covers. She could barely see the top of his head; a few brown curls were sticking out over the duvet. He seemed to be sleeping, but he was still coughing regularly. She decided to let him sleep. He pretty much slept through the next 48 hours, only interrupted by a few trips to the bathroom and Annie feeding him a bowl of soup. He'd tried to tell her that he was perfectly capable of feeding himself, but the truth was that his hands were shaking badly and not wanting to get soup all over the bed he'd let her do it.

* * *

><p>Auggie was feeling a lot better when he woke up Friday afternoon. He was still sick, but his fever was almost gone and the coughing had ceased. After a quick shower and changing into clean sweats he headed to the living room.<p>

_"Annie?"_

_"Over here, on the sofa. You look better!"_

Auggie carefully made his way over to Annie; he was still a bit dizzy and struggled a bit to get his bearings.

_"Two more feet and you're there,"_ Annie said quietly. Auggie smiled weakly and settled down on the couch next to Annie. She put her hand on his thigh; he put his hand over hers and squeezed it.

_"You look better today,"_ Annie said as she put her hand on his forehead. _"Seems like your fever has gone down as well. Are you hungry?"_

_"I feel better too and yes, I'm actually starving."_ He smiled weakly.

_"I'll fix something to eat then. Is grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup ok?"_

_"Sounds good to me, I'll skip the sandwich, my throat is still pretty sore."_

Annie ordered Auggie to stay in bed for the rest of Friday and most of Saturday. On Saturday evening his fever was gone, his throat was almost back to normal and he'd stopped coughing. His nose was still a bit stuffy, but he felt pretty much like himself again. They spent a quiet Saturday evening watching a couple of movies. Annie was curled up next to Auggie on the sofa.

_"Thanks Annie,"_ Auggie said, kissing the top of her head.

_"For what?"_ Annie sounded confused.

_"For spending your days off playing nurse for the blind guy,"_ he answered. _"I'm sure there were plenty of other, more enjoyable things you would have preferred to do. I know I'm not a very good patient."_

_"Augs, I love you and I could not imagine a better way to spend my days off than to take care of you when you're sick. I know you'd do the same thing for me."_

_"You think?"_ he teased.

_"I_ _know Auggie,"_ she said firmly.

_"I love you Annie,"_ Auggie said as he squeezed Annie's shoulders. He wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life with Annie curling up to him on the couch. He had to admit to himself that being sick wasn't as bad when he had Annie taking care of him, her kind care and affection was something he'd been subconsciously longing for. It sort of reminded him of his mother's care when he was younger, but he decided it was best not to bring that up.


	15. Christmas in Glencoe part 1

**Again: Thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites! They're truly appreciated and I'm very sorry that I've not gotten around to respond to all of you personally. My schedule is a bit crazy at the moment.**

**Here's the first part of their Christmas trip to Glencoe. I hoped to post it yesterday, but my beta was busy. No promises on when the next one will be up. It's still pretty rough.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 15: Christmas in Glencoe part 1-<span>**

It was early afternoon on December 22nd and Annie and Auggie were catching a morning flight to Chicago the next day to spend a little over a week in Glencoe with his family. Annie insisted on driving to the airport, but Auggie was firmly set on hiring his car service to take them there and pushed number 3 on his speed dial. After a couple of rings the call was answered.

_"D.C. Car Service, Janice speaking. How may I help you?"_ The familiar voice of his car service's receptionist greeted Auggie through the phone.

_"Hi Janice, Auggie Anderson here. I need a car to take me and my girlfriend to Reagan tomorrow morning at 7:30 am."_

_"No problem Mr. Anderson. Mark will there at 7:30 am."_

_"Thank you very much."_

_"My pleasure Mr. Anderson."_ After ending the call Auggie headed for the bedroom where Annie was packing her bag, he needed to pack as well.

##################

_"Car service will be here tomorrow morning at 7:30,"_ Auggie announced as he entered the room.

_"Car service? I thought we agreed that I was driving?"_ Annie was confused and a bit aggravated. She hated it when Auggie went against their agreements behind her back. It didn't happen very often, but when he had his mind set on something he tended to make sure to get things his way.

_"Parking at Reagan isn't cheap and we'll be gone for almost a week and a half, it makes more sense to use the car service. Also, they can drop us off right by the entrance, so we don't have to haul our luggage all the way from long-term parking in the snow and I won't have to worry about not detecting a patch of ice and falling on my face or breaking my leg."_ Annie felt a bit stupid; she completely understood the part about not wanting to slip on a patch of ice, it just hadn't entered her mind. She'd had her number of close calls the last few weeks herself and she could see. She realized she'd lost and decided to let Auggie have it his way.

_"Ok then, you make a good argument for the car service. I'll call Dani and ask if I can park my car over there. It's safer than leaving it parked on the street here."_

_"Sounds good!"_ Auggie replied as he pulled his suitcase from the top shelf in his closet and placed it on the bed. Annie paused her packing to call Danielle. After a few minutes she came back to the bedroom, still on the phone.

_"Auggie, how 'bout dinner at Dani's tonight?"_

_"Great! I always appreciate a good, home cooked meal."_

_"Aug says yes, so we'll see you in a couple hours."_ Annie ended the call.

* * *

><p>Late that evening they were in bed. Michael had taken them home after dinner while Danielle got the girls to bed. The girls were not at all happy about Annie and Auggie leaving for Glencoe and not spending Christmas with them.<p>

_"Auggie?"_

_"Mhm..."_ Auggie was already half asleep.

_"How many people will be at your parent's house this weekend?"_

_"Well, even though all of my brothers live in the Chicago area it's tradition that everyone spends the night between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at Mom and Dad's, so I guess we'll be,"_ Auggie paused briefly to do the math, _"16 people. As far as I know all of my brothers and their families are celebrating Christmas at the Anderson's this year. Apparently us coming were a big selling point."_

_"Wow, 16 people? I think the most my family has been at Christmas is 8 when Michael's sister showed up a couple of years ago. At least I've met most of your family, except for a couple of your nieces."_

_"Don't worry, you'll be great!"_ Auggie leaned over and kissed the top of Annie's head, which was resting on his sholder. "_And, by the way, it will be only us and my parents most of the time, they'll all leave by Sunday night. Most of them have to work on Monday."_

_"Thanks Auggie, I still find your big family a bit daunting, silly I know."_

_"You know how I feel, you're not alone. Now, lets get some sleep, we've got a long day ahead tomorrow. Good night babe." _Auggie pulled her closer and shifted his position so he could wrap both arms around Annie.

_"Night Aug."_

* * *

><p>The next morning they got up at 6 am. Auggie carefully placed his laptop, the ALVA Braille display for the laptop, iPad, the smaller Braille displaycontroller for that and his iPhone, a set of headphones, a couple of sets of ear buds and all of the cords and chargers for the equipment on the dining table, feeling it carefully; making sure he had everything.

_"Wow, are you sure you're bringing enough tech toys? Won't just the iPad do?"_ Annie teased as she came out from the bedroom with her suitcase in tow.

_"Well, the iPad is great for catching up on the news and checking my email, but we're gonna be there for over a week and it's not like I can just use my parent's computer if I need a regular computer. Also, Alex has some more computer trouble at the office; he called me a couple of days ago and asked me if I could take a look at it when I'm up there. I need the laptop for that and if something comes up at the office that the guys can't handle."_ Auggie explained while he carefully placed everything in his leather messenger bag. _"Are you all ready to get going? What time is it?"_

_"I'm ready. It's 7:05, so we still have another 25 minutes before the car service arrives. I'm just going around to check that all the windows are secure and that the back door is locked."_ Annie replied as she walked toward the bedrooms and backdoor.

* * *

><p>Two and a half hours later Annie and Auggie were sitting at the gate waiting to board their flight to Cleveland. The plane was delayed, but as long as the flight wasn't more than an hour and a half late they wouldn't have any problems catching their connecting flight in Cleveland. Annie could sense that Auggie was uncomfortable. He was constantly playing with his folded cane, shifting it from one hand to the other, which was never a good sign.<p>

_"Aug, are you alright? You seem a little tense."_

_"I just hate waiting. I hope we can get going soon and that there aren't any delays in Cleveland. Man, I wish we'd been able to get tickets on a direct flight to O'Hare."_

_"I know, me too,"_ Annie sighed, and glanced out the window. _"Oh, looks like it won't be to long now, the plane just arrived at the gate."_

Just as Annie finished her sentence the gate agent announced that boarding would start within the next 10 minutes. Auggie sighed with relief. Twenty-five minutes later they were settled in their first class seats.

#####################

Their connecting flight from Cleveland was on time, and three hours later they were making their way towards the baggage claim area at O'Hare. Auggie had his cane out to make it easier for them to navigate the crowds, which were worse than the Labor Day crowds. Annie noticed that he had a death grip on his cane and his grip on her elbow was firmer than normal.

_"What's the matter Aug?"_ Annie asked.

_"Nothing, just got a headache and I'm tired. Crowds are not exactly a blind man's best friend; it's just a sensory overload. It's one of the reasons I usually avoid travelling around the holidays,"_ he sighed.

_"We'll be out of here soon, we're almost at the carousel for our flight and Matt should be waiting for us, right?"_ Annie said while patting the hand holding her arm reassuringly. Just as she finished her sentence she noticed Matt and he obviously noticed them as well and headed their way.

_"Matt's headed our way!"_ Annie whispered to Auggie.

_"Auggie, Annie! It's so great to see you guys again."_

Auggie opened his arms for the hug he knew was coming and a second later Matt pulled him in for a bear hug.

_"Likewise Matt,"_ Auggie said as they broke the hug.

_"Very nice to see you again Matt,"_ Annie said, extending her hand. Instead of taking in Matt hugged her too.

_"I think luggage from your flight is starting to appear on the carousel. Augs, you stand here by this pillar for a sec and Annie and I will grab your bags."_ Matt said as he guided Auggie to a pillar a few feet away. Before Auggie had time to open his mouth to argue he realized they were gone. He put his hands on top of his cane and leaned back on the pillar, closing his eyes. His headache was getting worse and all he wanted to do was to have a couple of painkillers and a couple of hours in bed. Hopefully he'd be ok by dinnertime.

* * *

><p>It was dusk by the time they were driving through Glencoe, and Annie gasped at how most of the houses were beautifully decorated. The Anderson's house was no exception. There were clear lights framing every window and a pine garland with clear lights framing the front door. As they pulled into the driveway the front door opened and Auggie's parents stepped outside. Matt stopped and as soon as they were out of the car Auggie heard them approaching and before he managed to say anything his mother embraced him.<p>

_"August! It's wonderful to see you and I'm so happy that you're here for Christmas, it's been far too long."_

_"Good to see you too Mom, I'm happy to be here as well."_ As soon as his mother let him go his father pulled him in for a bear hug.

_"Great to have you home again son,"_ he said, patting Auggie firmy on the back.

Then their attention turned to Annie.

_"Wonderful to see you again Annie,"_ Jill exclaimed as she hugged her.

_"Thank you so much for inviting me again, I'm very happy to be here."_

_"Our pleasure Annie,"_ Andrew said as he hugged her as well. _"Now, let's get inside, it's freezing out here."_

Matt had brought their things inside while they were greeting his parents and was leaving to go home.

_"Well, I'll se you all tomorrow then,"_ he said as he got into the car.

_"Thanks for picking us up Matt! Say hello to Susannah and Alan from us."_ Auggie said.

_"No problem Aug!"_ Matt said as he closed the car door and started pulling out of the driveway.

######################

_"Yes Mom, as I've told you we've moved past best friends and roommates since the last time we were here, so sharing my room will be just fine." _Auggie tried his best to sound cheerful, but his mother's parental instincts picked up that something was wrong.

_"Auggie, what's wrong? You don't look too well,"_ she said with concern lacing her voice.

_"I'm just tired, crowds are a bit exhausting and they were really bad today. I've got a headache from the sensory overload. It's not a big deal, don't worry."_

_"Why don't you take something for it and just lay down for a while. It's only 4:45 pm, I didn't plan on serving dinner until 7, and that can be postponed if you need more time. It will only be the four of us tonight. The rest of the family will arrive tomorrow. Ok?"_

_"Thanks Mom. I think I'll do that. Now where's our luggage?"_

_"Right here Auggie,"_ Annie said as she pulled his suitcase towards him and put his left hand on the handle. He pushed it down and grabbed the handle on the side and started carrying it up the stairs. Annie followed him, and Auggie's father was right behind her carrying her suitcase. He left it inside the door and headed back downstairs.

#######################

_"Annie, do you have that bottle of water?"_

_"Yeah, but it's luke warm by now. Why don't I go downstairs and get a glass of water for you, cold water?"_

_"No, it's ok. I don't care if it's warm, I just need something to swallow the pills with."_ Auggie held out his hand for the bottle. Annie put it in his hand. After swallowing the pills he sat on the bed and kicked off his shoes before lying down. As his head hit the pillow he closed his eyes and soon he drifted off to a slumber. Annie was tired from travelling as well and after quietly hanging her shirts and dresses in the closet she got into bed to relax as well.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later they were heading downstairs for Jill's homemade meatballs and pasta, which turned out to be penne to Auggie's pleasure.<p>

_"Welcome home August! We're so happy you've decided to fight the crowds and come home for Christmas again,"_ Andrew said as he raised his glass in a toast.

_"A toast,"_ Annie whispered into his ear and Auggie raised his glass the direction of his father's voice

_"Thanks Dad, but really, you can thank Annie for dragging me here. You know me and air travel, especially around the holidays."_

_"Well then, thanks to Annie for getting August here,"_ he said with a smile in Annie's direction.

_"Oh, it wasn't much of a hard sell, Auggie actually had the idea that we could spend the entire week here,"_ Annie replied.

_"Well, I figured that if I was going trough the hassle of air travel and beating the holiday crowds at the airports we might as well spend some time here and we both had plenty of vacation time saved up. To be honest I've missed you guys, I know I haven't been around much for the last three years, I told you why when we were here for Labor Day. As I said then I think we need to spend time together, both for you to be comfortable around me and the other way around as well,"_ Auggie said sheepishly.

Auggie felt his mother's arms wrapping around him from behind and she kissed his cheek.

_"We've missed you too, and I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you're here."_ She let go of Auggie and sat back down.

_"What have you kids got planned for the coming week?"_ Andrew asked.

_"Alex has some computer issues at work that I promised to help him with, I don't know how much time that's gonna take. Both John and Steven have invited us for dinner, but apart from that we don't really have any plans. We've had a really hectic few months at work and I guess we both need some downtime and we're just looking forward to a few quiet days."_

_"I don't know how much quiet time I can promise you for the next couple of days, but on Sunday afternoon peace and quiet should be restored here. I think Lindsay might be staying for a few days, but except from that it'll be just us here."_

_"We know Dad. I think Annie is a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of 12 more people invading this house tomorrow,"_ Auggie said, nudging Annie with is elbow.

_"I come from a small family, so it's just really different from what I'm used to,"_ Annie said apologetically.

_"Auggie told me it's just you, your parents and your sister?"_ Jill asked.

_"Yeah, with my dad being deployed to different places every year we didn't manage keep in touch with the rest of the family. I've never really known my aunts, uncles and cousins and my grandparents all passed away before I was born. It'll be fun to experience Christmas in a big family, and I guess I've gotta get used to it,"_ she said with a smile. _"I'm glad I met most of them when we were here for Labor Day."_

#######################

The rest of the evening was spent in the family room with Annie and Auggie catching Jill and Andrew up on their lives in DC. Lying in bed late that night Auggie asked Annie if she was ready for Christmas with the Anderson's.

_"As ready as I'll ever be,"_ she said as she snuggled into Auggie.

_"Well, be prepared for madness, picture the beginning of the first two 'Home Alone' movies where there several families gathered at the McCallister house, preparing to leave for their Christmas vacation. It get's kinda' like that. When I was a kid I sometimes felt a bit like Kevin, being the youngest."_

_"Wow, I don't know if I'm ready for that level of madness,"_ Annie chuckled. _"I guess we better get some rest, sounds like tomorrow might be pretty exhausting."_

_"Good night Annie. Love you!" _Auggie pulled her closer and kissed her cheek.

_"Night Aug! I love you too."_


	16. Christmas in Glencoe part 2

**Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter :)**

**An unexpected day off gave me some time to clean get this ready for posting, so here it is! Christmas Eve at the Anderson's. The next chapter will probably not be up until this weekend.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 16: Christmas in Glencoe part 2-<span>**

The next morning Auggie woke up early. Annie was still fast asleep, not wanting to wake her he quietly put on a sweatshirt over his sleep pants and t-shirt and grabbed the iPad, Braille display and a set of ear buds from his messenger bag. Then he headed down to the kitchen. He started a pot of coffee and settled by the kitchen table with the iPad to check the news and his email. A few minutes later he heard footsteps approaching and his father entered the kitchen.

_"Morning Son,"_ Andrew greeted him_. "Early start?"_

_"Good morning Dad. You know me; I've never been one to sleep in. I started the coffee, it should be ready soon."_

_"I know August, even when you were a kid you'd always be the first out of bed on weekends. I remember having to haul your brothers out of bed, but you were always up before I got to your room."_

_"Yep, and old habits die hard I guess. Annie on the other hand likes to sleep in and she seems to sense when I'm awake, so I figured I'd get up and let her sleep for a while longer."_

The coffee maker beeped and Auggie heard his father walking over to the counter. He pulled two mugs from the kitchen cabinet and poured two cups of coffee.

_"Do you want milk or sugar in your coffee Auggie?"_ he asked.

_"No, black is fine in the morning."_

_"Two o'clock,"_ Andrew said, placing one mug in front of Auggie. He settled down in the chair on the end of the table, next to his son.

_"Thanks Dad."_

_"How are you doing Aug? Honestly? We haven't really talked in a long time."_

Auggie was a bit thrown by the question; it had been years since he had a 'man to man' talk with his father, not since he was still in rehab. He paused for a second before answering, to gather his thoughts and decided to go with being honest.

_"Pretty good actually. Job's going really well. I'm very lucky to have an employer that can and will provide with all the latest adaptive technology. It doesn't come cheap. I'm done with the days of self pity, but I'll admit there are times when I wish I could see and I still have my dark moments, I don't think that'll ever go away completely. There will always be times when my disability smacks me in the face, but most of the time it's just the inconvenience the instructors in rehab said it would be. I've accepted that this is who I am and I think I've made a good life for myself. I've got a job that I love, great co-workers, and a circle of friends that treat me like a normal person… It's good." _Auggie paused to have a sip of coffee.

_"You seem to have found a pretty special person in Annie?"_ Andrew asked quietly.

_"Yeah, she's amazing. I've known her for a couple of years now, I think part of me fell in love with her the first day we met, because of the way she saw the person behind the white cane right from the start. To her I've never been 'the blind guy'; I've been Auggie. My blindness never fazed her. It was the first time I experienced that after I lost my sight. Our relationship developed into being best friends. When Annie needed a place to stay we ended up being roommates and our feelings towards each other just grew stronger. It was after we spent Labor Day here I realized that I love her and I finally revealed my feelings. It was kind of a leap of faith, spur of the moment thing. I had no idea how she'd react, and not being able to see her face and read her reaction made it twice as hard. I was afraid that if she didn't share my feelings I'd lose my best friend and ruin one of the most important relationships in my life. Fortunately she shared my feelings and we discovered that we'd been sharing the same feelings, and fears, for a while."_

_"After you were here on Labor Day your mother and I wondered how long it would take for you two to realize that your feelings went beyond friendship. It was pretty obvious; your brothers mentioned it after you left too. I'm very happy for you August and we all like Annie a lot." _Andrew patted Auggie on the arm.

_"Thanks Dad. Annie's 'the one' I think, I've never felt this strongly for any woman in my life, and I can honestly say that her looks have nothing to do with it, although I've been told by several people that she's very good looking."_ Auggie said with a smile. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

_"Wanna show me how that little gizmo works?"_ Andrew said as Auggie turned his attention back to the iPad and Braille display.

_"Well, you know the iPad, so I'm guessing you're referring to this?"_ Auggie said, pointing to the Braille display.

_"Yes, that's correct. I don't think I've seen you working or using a computer since..."_ Andrews voice trailed off.

_"This is a refreshable Braille display, this part,"_ he said pointing to the Braille cells, _"displays the text on the screen in Braille. This particular model also has Braille input keys, allowing me to write emails and text messages. It connects with my iPhone and iPad via Bluetooth and the software on there translates the braille into regular text that anyone can read. It's called an ALVA BC640 and costs about five grand."_ He heard his father gasp. _"As I said, adaptive tech is expensive. I've got another Braille display for my laptop, that works with the regular computer keyboard, I can show you that setup later if you're interested." _Auggie then went on to explain how the screen reader software and Braille display worked. His father was very interested and seemed impressed by the time Annie and Jill entered the kitchen half an hour later.

* * *

><p><em>"You got up early today,"<em> Annie said as they headed back to Auggie's room to shower and get dressed after a long breakfast and sitting in the family room chatting for a while. The rest of Auggie's family would be arriving soon.

_"I woke up and I tried going back to sleep, but I realized it wasn't happening and I didn't wanna wake you with my tossing and turning. You know me, I always wake up early, and I'm not really adjusted to not having to get up yet. Hopefully I won't wake up this early every day while we're here. Had a nice 'man to man' talk with Dad for the first time since I was in rehab, so it was a good morning. I really want our relationship to become 'normal' again and I feel like we're getting there."_

_"That's good!" _Annie said. _"Now do you wanna use the bathroom first or should I go? Oh, and what's the 'dress code' here today?"_

_"I'll go first, I'm faster than you. I'd say dressy but, casual if you know what I mean. I'm going for some dress slacks, a shirt and a sweater, no tie."_ Auggie headed for the bathroom and fifteen minutes later he emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist. Annie never got tired of the sight of Auggie's very toned torso.

_"Hey, enough staring Walker! Get your ass in the shower, people will start arriving soon,"_ Auggie said with a smile. Annie did as he told her and headed for the bathroom.

Half an hour later she was finishing her makeup and Auggie was sitting on the bed, tying his shoelaces as the doorbell rang. He got up and headed to the door, holding his left hand out in Annie's direction. Annie noticed he was holding his folded up cane in his right hand.

_"Shall we?"_ he asked.

_"Sure! But can I ask you one thing before we head downstairs?"_

_"Yeah, you know you can ask me anything."_

_"What's with the cane? I haven't seen you using in the house before."_

_"I don't need it to get around, I know this house just as well as our place in DC, but this place will be crowded and you never know what kind of traps people might leave for me to trip over. Belt and suspenders I guess, I'd rather use the cane than fall on my face, out of the two I think the latter is more embarrassing for everyone. I'm not really sure about it though, I know it makes some of my family uncomfortable. It's the old 'best friend vs. worst enemy' dilemma."_

_"Huh? What do you mean Aug?"_

_"Chrissy, my O&M instructor at rehab said that the cane would become my best friend and in many ways it has. It allows me to move around independently and keeps me out of trouble. The 'worst enemy' part draws attention to my disability and often causes awkward moments,"_ Auggie stated with a shrug.

_"Ah, I've never thought about it that way, but I see your point. Don't worry, you made great progress the last time we were here, and I don't see why that should change just because you carry your cane. Maybe just bring it up causally at dinner or if everyone is gathered in the living room or something. Tell them why you're using it and just explain your thoughts. They were all very receptive on Labor Day. Let's just see how it goes, ok?"_ Annie patted his shoulder reassuringly and grabbed his hand.

* * *

><p>The first to arrive was Alex and his daughter Lindsay. Alex pulled Auggie in for a hug and seemed very happy to see his brother again, Annie noticed that the greeting was far less awkward than the handshake and half hug the last time they were in Glencoe. Lindsay was overjoyed to see Auggie again and hugged him warmly.<p>

_"Annie, so nice to see you again. Glad to see that you and my brother finally realized what was pretty obvious to the rest of us,"_ Alex said with a wink as he pulled Annie in for a hug. Auggie then introduced Annie to Lindsay.

The introductions were interrupted by the arrival of Matt, Susanna and Alan together with Steven, Kate, Carrie and Christine. Soon after John, Mandy and Peter arrived. Everyone shared the same joy over having Auggie with them for Christmas and they were all very happy that they baby brother and Annie had found each other. Everyone except Matt also stiffened a bit when they saw Auggie's cane.

Annie soon realized it was a good idea that Auggie had brought his cane with him. The house was absolute chaos; Annie couldn't help thinking about the 'Home Alone' movies that Auggie had mentioned the previous night. Except for the fact that there were only two kids, baby Alan and six year old Peter, it was pretty much just like those movies. It was kind of overwhelming, but Auggie didn't seem bothered at all, to the contrary, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Annie went over and joined him on the sofa in the family room where he was sitting with Matt and Susannah.

_"Hi there,"_ she said as she sat down and wrapped her arm around Auggie's shoulders.

_"So, how's Christmas with the Anderson's going for you so far?"_ he asked her.

_"Still kind of overwhelming, but I'll get used to it, don't worry,"_ Annie said with a smile.

Auggie leaned over and whispered _"Do I need to make a 'speech'?" _in her ear.

_"Might be a good idea, but I don't think it's crucial,"_ Annie replied, patting his hand.

##########################

As they all sat down in the dining room for lunch half an hour later Auggie got to his feet, holding his folded cane and cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

_"I'm not planning on making 'speeches' at the beginning of every family gathering, but I want to clear the air about something. I've noticed that you all seem a bit uncomfortable because I'm using my cane today. I don't really need it here, I know this house like the back of my hand, but with the number of people here this weekend it's just a safety measure. I think me blundering into things, tripping over stuff, possibly falling on my face, hurting myself will be much more awkward than me using my cane. Agreed? Or do you prefer the entertainment of me tripping over stuff?"_ A brief tense, laugh passed the room.

Lindsay was the one who spoke up. _"I don't want you to get hurt Aug, but if things get a bit boring I'll just hide your cane and we'll be entertained. Thanks for the tip!"_ she said with a teasing tone and a broad grin.

_"Picking on the blind guy for entertainment Lindsey? Not fair you know! I'm sure Annie here has my back,"_ Auggie said with a bright smile as he sat down back down next to Annie. There was an awkward pause, but some of the tension seemed to subside.

The rest of the day was kind of a blur for Annie; she was still overwhelmed by the number of people that now occupied the Anderson's home. Wherever she went there were people there, although most of the time they were gathered in the family room. Jill, with the help of Kate, Mandy and Samantha, had prepared a delicious Christmas dinner. Annie was blown away by the abundance of food on the table and the beautiful table setting. By the time they headed for bed she was exhausted, but still she couldn't wait for the next day with Auggie's huge family. She could imagine them opening presents on Christmas morning; she was pretty sure it would be absolute chaos. With that thought in her head she snuggled closer to Auggie who was already fast asleep and soon she was sleeping too.


	17. Christmas in Glencoe part 3

**Sorry about the slow update! I hit a major writers block and I haven't been able to write anything. Here's finally an update. The next one is still pretty rough, I don't know when I'll be able to post it. I've been struggling with inspiration lately.**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 17: Christmas in Glencoe part 3-<span>**

_"Uncle Auggie, Annie! It's Christmas!"_ Auggie's nephew Peter came into the room and climbed into their bed and started tugging on Auggie's arm. Auggie rolled over to lay on his back and groaned. Contrary to his usual routine he was not ready to get up yet and having an overexcited six year old in his bed was not something he really appreciated. Annie rolled over on her side and pulled the covers around her, trying her best to ignore the child in their bed. She just wanted to sleep and after all; the kid was Auggie's nephew. He could deal with it she decided.

_"What time is it Peter?"_ he asked his nephew, still half asleep.

_"It's Christmas morning! Time for presents! Get up!"_ Peter squealed excitedly.

Auggie groped around his bedside table for his watch, when he located it he picked it up and flipped it open and checked the time.

_"Wow, you can open your watch Uncle Auggie? Cool!"_

_"It's a special watch Pete, for blind people. I'll explain how it works later; right now I'm too tired. It's only 6:15. You know the rules, we don't do presents until 8 o'clock,"_ Auggie said firmly. _"No one else is up, the house is quiet, so go back to bed."_ He had a strong suspicion that his nephew had already terrorized his parents and probably his grandparents as well without luck.

_"I don't wanna go back to bed Uncle Auggie. I wanna open presents,"_ Peter pouted, still tugging on Auggie's arm.

_"I know you do kiddo, but it's still too early. Now, you can either sleep here with Annie and me or you can go back to your own bed. We're not getting up yet and that's final."_ Auggie said with a yawn. He really wasn't upset with Peter, he remembered doing the same himself, when he was about his age he'd hated the 8 o'clock rule. He heard Peter jumping out of their bed and small footsteps leaving and the door closing, soon after he heard his nephew trying to wake Steven and Kate in the guest room across the hall.

_"That was mean,"_ Annie teased as she rolled over and snuggled into Auggie's arms, resting her head on his shoulder.

_"No it wasn't, it's the rules. Has been for as long as I can remember. Now, let's sleep for another hour or so." _Auggie pulled Annie closer and soon they drifted off to sleep again.

* * *

><p>A knock on the door woke them an hour and a half later.<p>

_"What?"_ Auggie groaned into his pillow.

_"Present time kids!"_ Andrew proclaimed as he opened the door.

_"We'll be right down, just give us a few minutes to wake up."_

_"You better hurry up, otherwise Peter will open everybody's presents,"_ his father chuckled.

_"The little bugger has already been in here, so I don't doubt that Dad. Just let us splash some water in our faces, brush our teeth and put on some sweats."_ Auggie said as got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

_"See you down in the family room in a few then."_

_"Yep!"_ Auggie replied from the bathroom. Andrew left the room and Annie got out of bed. She quickly located and put on a set of velvet lounge pants and a matching hoodie and joined Auggie in the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Five minutes later they were heading downstairs, holding hands, Auggie clutching his folded cane in his free hand. From the commotion coming from the family room it sounded like most of the family was already there. Auggie couldn't help feeling a bit excited; childhood memories of Christmas morning came to his mind and a smile spread across his face. He was actually happy about being there with his family and even happier that Annie was there. Annie glanced up at him and squeezed his hand.<p>

_"You're just a big kid, aren't you?"_ she teased.

Auggie just smiled in response and squeezed her hand back as they entered the family room.

_"There you are. 'Bout time!" _Alex exclaimed as they entered the sitting room and Annie led Auggie to the empty loveseat in the corner. _"Let's get started then,"_ he said as he started handing out presents. Peter was over the moon with excitement. The mountain of gifts piled under the tree overwhelmed Annie; it was at least twice the number of gifts she was used to.

* * *

><p>A couple hours later the unwrapping frenzy was over and they'd had enjoyed a big brunch. Everyone retreated to their rooms to get dressed and ready for the rest of the day. Annie was carrying two shopping bags filled with her and Auggie's presents and Auggie followed behind her with his cane out. He'd gone to get himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen without it and he'd tripped over Peters radio controlled car; he didn't want to risk more similar incidents. As they entered the room Annie stashed the bags in a corner, as out of the way as possible.<p>

_"Auggie, I put the bags with our gifts in the corner next to the dresser, ok?"_

_"Got it!"_ Auggie replied while searching though his messenger bag. Pulling out an envelope he handed it to Annie._ "Here."_

_"What's this Aug?"_ Annie said, taking the envelope.

_"Our Christmas present."_ Auggie replied casually.

_"Huh?"_ Annie was confused; she thought they'd exchanged gifts downstairs.

_"Just open it, will you?"_ Auggie crossed his arms and smirked at her.

Annie opened the envelope and found two sheets of paper inside. It turned out to be a travel itinerary for a two-week round trip in Europe the coming summer.

_"Auggie, what…?"_ was all Annie managed to get out.

_"I haven't really travelled much since Tikrit, except for a couple of trips to the jazz festival in Istanbul. I miss it, but I haven't had anyone to travel with until now. Figured seeing Europe with you would be fun. I know you travel all the time for work, and I thought about a beach resort or something, but it just didn't feel right."_

Annie stood on her tiptoes and kissed Auggie gently.

_"Thank you Aug! I can't wait to see Europe with you. Having been somewhere on a mission isn't the same as going there on vacation with my boyfriend."_

_"I hoped you'd feel that way. Oh, and before you ask; I've cleared it with Joan."_

_"For some reason I didn't doubt that for a second Aug."_ Annie said as she kissed him again. This time he wrapped his arms around her and the kiss was long and passionate.

* * *

><p>In the Master suite Jill and Andrew were sitting in the sofa in the bay window, enjoying a moment of peace and quiet. Even if they enjoyed having all of their sons and their wives and grandchildren around they were happy to have a few minutes of alone time.<p>

"Looks like Auggie and Annie are really in love, doesn't it?" Jill asked her husband.

_"I know he's in love with her. He told me yesterday he thinks she's 'the one'. We had a little 'man to man' conversation yesterday. And seeing how she looks at him I have no doubt that the feelings are mutual."_

_"I'm so happy they met each other. He seems much happier now, much more like the 'old' Auggie, before he left for Iraq,"_ Jill said quietly.

_"I think he is. He told me yesterday he still has his dark moments, but altogether he seems like he's accepted his circumstances and is making the best of it. I think Annie has a lot to do with the change in his attitude and mood. He seems to have carved out a pretty good life for himself in DC."_

_"I've been so worried these past three years; the fact that he's pretty much avoided most of us, except for Matt, hasn't helped," _Jill sighed.

_"We know why he's avoided us, because it's always been so awkward. I'm happy that Annie made him realize that staying away doesn't make things less awkward. Things are much less tense now than they were on Labor Day, right?"_

_"You're right Andrew. It still breaks my heart to see my youngest son with a white cane, I have to admit that I'm not sure I'll ever get used to it,"_ Jill said with a sniffle.

_"Honey, I know how you feel, it's hard for me too." _Andrew put his arm around his wife's shoulders and kissed her cheek. "_I'm still mad about what that bomb took away from our son and seeing him with the cane is a constant reminder."_

They sat in silence for a few moments before they headed downstairs to prepare Christmas dinner.

* * *

><p>The next day Auggie's brothers and their families started leaving after breakfast; most of them were going to work the next day. Even if she'd gotten over being completely overwhelmed by Auggie's family Annie was still relieved when they found themselves in the family room with just Auggie's parents and his oldest niece, Lindsay that evening. She needed some downtime and was looking forward to a few days of peace and quiet. That she didn't have to think about work, crazy missions or brush passes for the next week made her very happy.<p>

_"Hey, what are you thinking about?"_ Auggie asked.

_"Just that I'm happy that I don't have to think about anything work related for the next week."_

_"Me too,"_ he said.

_"Seriously, Mr. Workaholic?"_ Annie teased.

"_Yep! With all of the overtime I've worked this fall I'm happy that I don't have to think about work for a week."_

_"You didn't feel that way when you had the flu a couple of weeks ago,"_ Annie said as she nudged him playfully with her elbow.

_"Oh har, you're so funny Ms. Walker."_

_"No, seriously Aug, if you hadn't broken that mug and woke me up you'd probably have gone to the office."_

_"And Joan would have sent me straight back home as soon as she laid eyes on me. I was a mess!"_

_"Ya' think?"_

_"No, I know,"_ he chuckled. _"It's happened before. Now, we have a full week of downtime ahead of us, let's enjoy it."_


	18. Wrestling team Reunion

**WOW! 100 reviews! You guys are awesome! Again, thanks for the alerts and reviews for the previous chapter! :) I suck at replying, but they are all read and greatly appreciated.**

**This story is coming to an end, I have two more chapters in the works, then it's over. The trip to Europe will be written, but in a new story.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs or Annie or Auggie (wish I did have my own Auggie, a best friend like that would be amazing)!**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 18: Wrestling team Reunion-<span>**

_"So, where did you meet Auggie?"_ Lindsay asked Annie. They were headed to the mall, while Auggie was helping Alex sort out his office computers.

_"At work, he gave me a tour my first day and sort of took me under his wing. We became friends pretty fast; we just kind of 'clicked'. And Auggie isn't that hard to like. He's smart, has a great sense of humor and he's not exactly hard on the eyes either."_

_"I know. He's always been my favorite uncle; he was kind of my hero when I was a kid. Unfortunately we haven't had much contact since he came back from Iraq, just some random emails now and then. He sort of blocked everyone out when he was in rehab, and then he went back to work and I don't doubt that it was pretty damn hard, to adjust to being blind and getting the hang of a new job, and that he didn't have the energy to deal with the family in the beginning,"_ Lindsay said with a touch of sadness in her voice_. "I'd just started med-school at the time and was really wrapped up in my studies. I didn't really make much of an effort myself either, so it's not all Auggie's fault."_

_"I have the impression that he's kept away from the family altogether, except for Matt, because he didn't wanna deal with all the awkward moments. Another thing is that he hates is air travel on his own, because he has to rely on Travellers Assistance staff to guide him at the airports."_

_"I know. I didn't think about the air travel issue though. I've tried to get him to come here, but he just wouldn't budge. He wasn't coming here and that was it. He can be so damn stubborn some times."_

_"That I know!"_ Annie laughed. She'd encountered Auggie's stubbornness more than once herself.

_"How'd you finally persuade him to come here? I have the impression that you've played a big part in getting him to come."_

_"It wasn't really that hard. I think Jill practically ordered him to come here for Labor Day and when things went pretty well we figured we'd spend Christmas here and it was his idea to spend the week here, to really have some time with the family. I think he missed you guys, more than he will admit."_

_"It's good to have him here and I'm happy to see that he seems much more like his old self than the last time I saw him."_

Conversation moved on to other subjects and they spent the afternoon browsing the mall. Annie enjoyed spending time with Lindsay; she was only a few years younger than her and they had several common interests. They also had similar taste in clothes and literature. Lindsay wanted to travel the world with 'Doctors without borders' and was very fascinated by Annie's many travels.

* * *

><p><em>"Thanks again bro! You really are a lifesaver. I'll see you at John's tomorrow, right?"<em> Alex said as he stopped the car in the driveway to let Auggie out.

_"No problem Alex, glad to help,"_ Auggie said as he got out of the car. He closed the door and trailed the car with his right hand until he found the door handle on the rear door. He opened it and quickly located his messenger bag. _"See you tomorrow then."_ As Auggie was about to close the door it dawned on him that he wasn't sure where he was in relation to the front door of the house. Slightly embarrassed he asked Alex.

_"Follow the car to the front and it's at your two o'clock, about twelve yards from the front of the car. Bye Auggie."_

Auggie shut the door and unfolded his cane, tapping it twice to make sure it was locked and then he followed the car to the front, lightly trailing the side of the car with his left hand. When he got to the front he adjusted his direction and easily made his way to the front door. As soon as he put his hand on the doorknob he heard Alex pull out of the drive. He went straight up to his room to deposit the bag and his cane. With only Lindsay in the house in addition to his parents, Annie and himself he felt comfortable with moving around without it again. As he set the bag on the desk chair his iPhone started vibrating in his pocket. He quickly pulled his Bluetooth headset out of his other pocket and answered the call.

_"Anderson."_

_"Hey Aug, it's Matt."_

_"Hi Matt, what's up?"_

_"Got something to ask you,"_ he said, a bit tentatively.

_"Shoot."_ Auggie replied, suspecting he might not like what Matt was going to ask him from the tone of his voice.

_"Just got a call from Chris Zimmerman, some of the guys from wrestling are in town this week and we're getting together Wednesday night. He got all excited when I told him you're in town and really wants you to come as well."_

Auggie sighed. Part of him wanted to go, he'd been Captain of the wrestling team his senior year and the guys on the team had been pretty close. They shared many memories of good times and they'd had a great time the last time he saw them. What held him back was the fear of awkwardness, he hadn't seen any of the guys after losing his sight and he wasn't sure how they would react to his blindness.

_"I don't know Matt, not sure if I'm up for it. Might get really awkward. Let me think about it."_ He heard Matt sigh as he finished his sentence.

_"C'mon Aug. They all know you lost your sight in Iraq and although I can't guarantee it won't be an awkward moment or three, I think we'll have a good time. They really wanna see you, they haven't seen you since your 10 year reunion and that was what, 8 years ago? Please come."_ Matt pleaded.

_"I'll give it some thought and get back to you,"_ Auggie stated firmly. _"Talk to you later."_

_"Ok, talk to you later bro."_ Matt said and hung up the phone. He knew Auggie well and that he just needed to give him some time to mull it over and he'd probably agree to come. At least he hoped so.

* * *

><p>When Annie got home from the mall she found Auggie laying on the bed, he seemed to be lost in thoughts. When she entered the room he smiled in her direction, propping himself up on his elbows.<p>

_"Hey you,"_ Annie said, sitting down on the side of the bed next to him_. "Did you sort out Alex' computer issues?"_

_"Yeah, that secretary of his sure doesn't know her way around computers and it shows. Alex was never much of a computer whiz either; I'm the geek of the family. So, how was your day? Have fun at the mall? Any bargains?"_

_"Lindsay is great and we had a really good time. We didn't do that much shopping though, just a few things. What's on your mind Aug? You seem distracted."_

Auggie sighed. There was Annie again, reading his mind.

_"Matt called. Apparently some of the guys from my High School wrestling team are getting together Wednesday night and they want me to come. I don't know if I'm up for it. The last time I saw them was about 8 years ago, at our 10-year high school reunion. I haven't seen any of them after loosing my sight and it might be really awkward."_

_"I have a feeling that you wanna go."_ Annie stated.

_"Well, yeah…I mean, we were pretty close and we had some good times. It would be fun to meet them again."_

_"Then go. Have fun. I'm sure you'll have a great time. Matt'll be there, right?"_

_"Mhm..."_ Auggie shrugged his shoulders.

_"C'mon Auggie. Stop second-guessing yourself. Now call Matt and tell him you'll come."_ Annie squeezed his arm and headed for the bathroom. Auggie took a deep breath and pulled the Bluetooth headset from his jeans pocket. Matt was very happy when Auggie agreed to go.

* * *

><p>They spent Tuesday relaxing at the house, they both needed the downtime and it was good to have no responsibilities for a few days. They went to dinner at John and Mandy's in the evening, and to Auggie's surprise he had a good time, even though it was unfamiliar territory. Between Annie and Matt assisting him the evening went by without any awkward moments. Annie was right; spending time with his family made everyone more comfortable around each other, and small incidents that would have caused major awkwardness just a few days ago were just laughed at and no one seemed to pay much attention to them. Auggie was also reasonably sure that they'd stopped scrutinizing his every move. At least he didn't feel them staring, and Annie confirmed his suspicions when he asked her after they went to bed that evening.<p>

* * *

><p>Wednesday afternoon Annie found Auggie rummaging through his side of the closet. Annie watched him change out of the worn jeans and Atari t-shirt he'd been wearing into a pair of dark jeans and a light blue shirt. He put on a black vest and turned toward her.<p>

_"Presentable?"_ he asked.

_"Very much so, you're always presentable, you know that. When is Matt picking you up?"_

_"At six. We're meeting at Friday's to eat and then we're going to a bar for a few beers afterwards, at least that's what Matt told me."_ He sighed. Part of him looked forward to seeing his old buddies again, but he was nervous.

_"Auggie,"_ Annie stood in front of him and grabbed his hands. _"I'm sure you'll have great time with your friends. Don't worry, just be your usual charming self and have fun!"_ Auggie kissed her gently and pulled her in for a hug.

_"Thanks for being you! I'll try my best to have fun. I hate myself for being so self conscious, wish I could get past it."_ Annie simply kissed him on the cheek and patted him on the arm.

####################

An hour later Auggie was sitting in Matt's car, heading for Friday's in Glenview. He felt the car slowing down, taking a right turn, then slowing down even more and taking a sharp left turn before pulling to a stop.

_"Here we are then. Ready?"_ Matt asked as they unbuckled their seatbelts.

_"As ready as I'll ever be."_ Auggie stated. He got out of the car and waited for Matt to guide him into the restaurant. A minute or two later Matt brushed his right hand against the back of Auggie's left and Auggie lightly grasped his elbow, carrying his folded cane in his right hand. They entered the restaurant and before Matt reached the hostess they were greeted by Chris, he'd seen them coming.

_"Auggie, my man! So great to see you, it's been way too long."_

Auggie let go of Matt's arm and quickly switched his cane into his left hand and stuck out his right in Chris' direction. He was soon rewarded with a firm handshake and Chris pulled him into a hug, patting his back.

_"Great to see you to Chris. Who else is here?"_ Auggie asked as they broke the hug. He was relieved that Chris greeted him like nothing had changed.

_"Josh, Wayne, Billy, Allen and Connor. Paul might be joining us at the bar later, but he didn't know when he'd be able get off duty."_

Chris then greeted Matt and told them to follow him to the table. The hostess came over and took care of their coats and a few minutes later they were seated and Auggie noticed that everyone seemed kind of tense. The hostess was very attentive, she handed Auggie a Braille menu without him asking for it. He was grateful, having Matt read the menu to him would have been very awkward. He felt everybody's eyes on him though, but decided on trying to ignore the stares. Twenty minutes later, after they'd finished their salads he got fed up, and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. He decided he had put a stop to it.

_"Guys, just because I can't see you staring doesn't mean that I don't know you're watching my every move. I can feel your eyes on me."_ Everyone was dead silent and then he heard muffled apologies from around the table. _"I know you haven't seen me since I lost my sight and that you're probably nervous and insecure about how to behave around me, truth to be told; I'm a bit nervous as well. Please just act normal. I'm still Auggie, the guy you knew in High School. Even though I'm blind now, I'm still independent and I'm capable of doing most things myself. If I need assistance with something I'll ask for it."_ Auggie was interrupted by the arrival of their food and Matt leaned in and gave him the regular cues to where his food was on the plate. Nobody seemed to notice and the feeling of being watched went away. Conversation picked up slowly as they started their dinners.

_"So, what do you do in DC Auggie?"_ Josh asked.

_"I'm the head software developer at a private IT firm. Mostly I work on security systems."_

_"You work with computers?"_ Josh sounded surprised.

_"There's lots of adaptive tech that lets me use a computer just as efficiently as when I could see."_ Auggie briefly explained about refreshable Braille displays and screen reading software. They moved on to other subjects and by the time they paid the bill and headed for Meier's Tavern they were pretty much chatting away like they did in High School. Auggie had to admit to himself that he was happy to be there and that actually he enjoyed catching up with his old friends.

_"Hey Aug, do you have a girlfriend?"_ Chris asked as they started their fifth round of beer a couple of hours later. Auggie realized he was getting tipsy and passed on the offered round of shots. He didn't plan on getting drunk; being blind and wasted had proved to be a bad combination more than once.

_"Yes, I do. We've been dating for a few moths now, but I've actually known her for a couple of years. We were best friends and roommates before we started going out."_

_"Aug, I never thought I'd see the day; you've been best friends and roomies with a girl without getting laid?"_ Wayne teased. Auggie had been a ladies man since High School and the guys had always been a bit jealous of his ability to score pretty women.

_"Oh very funny! I've grown up a bit since High School, but I'll let you in on a little secret; the ladies love blind guys! Thinks we don't care about looks."_ He grinned broadly.

_"Well, that's kinda' the truth, isn't it? It's not like you can tell what a girl looks like."_ Billy said. Auggie smiled at the way he stated it so matter-of-factly.

_"I might not see with my eyes, but paying attention to how the men around me reacts to a woman gives me clues. For example; I think that blonde chick over by the pool table is pretty hot."_ Auggie said with a smirk.

_"True, she is! Always on top of your game, aren't you Anderson?" Wayne_ said with a small laugh and a teasing tone in his voice.

_"Yep! Gotta be,"_ Auggie replied with one of his signature smirks.

_"Well, Aug, I don't think Annie would appreciate you checking out the local chicks,"_ his brother cut in, nudging him with his elbow.

_"Don't worry, she's the only one I've got eyes on, so to speak," _Auggie said with a grin plastered on his face.

At 11 o'clock they decided to call it a night and head home. Some of them had to work the next day, including Matt. Auggie had all of them add their contact info to his iPhone before they left and they got his email address and civilian phone number as well. They promised to keep in touch.

_"Thanks for persuading me to go,"_ Auggie said to Matt as they pulled out of the parking lot. _"That was fun!"_

_"I told you so, didn't I? You need to loosen up a bit Aug, stop being so damn self conscious and just be yourself, like you did tonight. You used to be so confident and usually you come across as a very confident person as well, but I know you well enough to know that's not always the case, especially around people you don't know very well."_

_"I know, but it's not always easy, one thing I've figured out lately is that things get less awkward if I address my blindness instead of dancing around the elephant in the room."_

_"You're right about that, I know that you really want to be seen as a person, not 'the blind guy' and that's why you don't really like to speak about your disability, but many people are insecure about how to act around you and pretending it doesn't exist doesn't make things less awkward; like tonight, as soon as you cleared the air things got less tense. It was the same thing with the family."_

_"I know,"_ Auggie said a bit sheepishly. They rode the rest of the way to the Anderson's house in silence.

Just as he was about to get out of the car Auggie turned towards Matt.

_"Matt, can I ask for your help with something?"_

_"Sure, what?"_

_"I've decided to propose to Annie. I've thought about it for a while and I'm 100% sure that she's the woman I wanna spend the rest of my life with and I'm pretty sure she feels the same about me. I know we haven't been going out for that long, but we've known each other for a couple of years. Can you help me buy a ring for her?"_

_"I'd be honored to help you with that Augs, really."_ Matt said as he patted Auggie on the shoulder.

_"Thanks, I appreciate it. I know you're busy, both with work and the baby, but you're the one guy I trust to help me with something this important."_

_"I've only got a couple of meetings tomorrow morning and nothing else that really demands my immediate attention, unless something comes up. I'll try to slip out from the office by 1 o'clock tomorrow and we can go shopping for a ring."_

_"Sounds good to me. We haven't got any plans except Steven's dinner party tomorrow night. Just call me and let me know. Just gotta figure out an excuse to keep Annie form going with us."_

_"You can do that, I'm sure."_

_"Ya think?"_ Auggie said with a smirk. _"Good night Matt, see you tomorrow."_

_"Door's at your 1 o'clock, about fifteen yards ahead. Night Aug, I'll call as soon as I get off work. See you then."_

* * *

><p>It was past midnight by the time Auggie climbed in to bed. Annie immediately scooted over and snuggled into his chest.<p>

_"Hey you,"_ she whispered groggily. _"Have a good time?"_

_"Great time actually, thanks for persuading me to go."_ Auggie said as he kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

_"G'night Aug, love you."_

_"Love you too babe. Night."_

Falling asleep with Annie in his arms was one of his favorite things and he was sure that he wanted to spend every night like this for the rest of his life.


	19. Will you marry me?

**Thanks again for all the alerts, favorites and reviews! :o) Here's the 2nd to last chapter - the next one is the end of the story and should be up soon. It's well under way, I finally found some inspiration. The Europe trip will be in a separate story at some point, right now I'll focus on 'Moving on, or maybe not?' as soon as I'm finished with 'Roommates'.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own 'Covert Affairs' - it belongs to the USA Network.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 19: Will you marry me?-<span>**

Auggie woke up early. He slipped out of bed and pulled on a sweatshirt. As he grabbed his iPad, Braille display and ear buds from the desk he stopped for a second and listened. Annie's breathing was still calm and even, she was still sound asleep as far as he could tell. He left the room as quietly as he could manage and headed downstairs to the kitchen. He hoped his mother was up, he needed her assistance and he needed to talk to her before Annie woke up. As he entered the kitchen he was rewarded with the smell of freshly made coffee and the sound of his mother puttering around the kitchen.

_"Morning Mom,"_ he said as he put the iPad down on the kitchen table and headed for the coffee maker to get him a much needed caffeine fix.

_"Good morning August,"_ Jill greeted her son as she watched him retrieve a mug from the cabinet above the coffee maker and carefully pouring a cup of coffee without spilling a drop. It still amazed her.

_"Mom, can I ask you for a favor?"_ Auggie asked tentatively.

_"Of course honey, what do you need?"_

_"The thing is, I've decided to propose to Annie and Matt's helping me buy a ring for her this afternoon. He should be here around 2 o'clock. Can you come up with something to distract her, for obvious reasons I don't want her to come with me for that."_

Auggie heard his mother approaching and he quickly sat down his coffee mug on the counter next to him, bracing himself for the hug he was pretty sure was coming. Two seconds later his mothers arms was around him.

_"August, that's wonderful! I'm going out to run some errands for the New Years Eve party today, I'll ask Annie to come with me and help. She's offered to help me, so I'm sure it won't be a problem."_

_"Thanks Mom, I appreciate it. Can't deny that I'm a bit nervous about popping 'the' question though."_

_"I'm sure she'll say yes. It's a shame you can't see the looks of pure love she gives you, but trust me; she's head over heels in love with you,"_ Jill said as she patted Auggie on the arm.

_"Thanks Mom. Honestly, I don't really think a lot about the fact that I can't see anymore, it's the way it is and I can't do a damn thing about it, but I have to admit that proposing without being able to see her face, how she reacts, is a bit daunting."_

_"Don't worry, she'll say yes!"_ Jill stated firmly. Auggie smiled at her and refilled his coffee before setting down at the kitchen table with his iPad to go through his morning routine of checking the news and his email.

* * *

><p>At 2:30 in the afternoon Matt pulled into a parking spot at the Northbrook Court mall. Annie had left with Jill to run errands for the party a few hours ago and Auggie had mentioned to her that he might be out with Matt for a couple of hours in the afternoon.<p>

Auggie had been very clear about the fact that he wanted to buy a classic single diamond ring at Tiffany & Co. and the closest location was Northbrook.

_"So, what's the budget?"_ Matt asked as he led Auggie through the mall towards the store.

_"I draw the line at five grand,"_ Auggie replied evenly.

_"Seriously Auggie? Can you afford that?" _Matt sounded surprised.

_"I love her and I don't plan on buying another engagement ring in my lifetime, the only other ring I plan on getting is a wedding band when that time comes. For your information I didn't need my trust fund for college since I got full scholarships all the way through MIT and I haven't touched it yet, it's invested and thanks to Dad's advice it's actually grown, even with the bad economy,"_ Auggie said pointedly.

_"Sorry Augs, didn't mean to pry, I was just surprised that a government employee could afford to blow $5000 on an engagement ring, that's all."_ Matt said, sounding a bit flushed. They walked the rest of the way to Tiffany & Co. in silence.

##################

Half an hour later they left the store, Auggie with a small, turquoise box tucked in his coat pocket. It held a simple white gold band, with a 0.5-carat diamond in a classic Tiffany setting. It felt right. It was Annie; classic and beautiful. Matt had helped check out the quality of the diamond and he'd checked the amount on the credit card slip before Auggie signed for the significant charge to his American Express card. Auggie felt the box in his pocket; butterflies were appearing in his stomach – some of them felt like they were the size of elephants.

_"Thanks Matt,"_ Auggie said as they left the mall and headed for Matt's car.

_"My pleasure Auggie! As I said the other day I'm honored that you trust me to assist you with something this important."_ Matt said, patting the hand that lightly grasped his right elbow. _"So, when do you plan on popping the question?"_

_"My initial thought was to do it shortly before midnight tomorrow, but I figured I want to do it in private and that might be a little complicated to accomplish in the middle of Mom and Dad's New Years Eve party, so I think I'll do it tonight."_

_"I agree with doing it in private. Personally I've never seen the point of public proposals, like those cheesy ones at hockey matches you know,"_ Matt stated.

_"I'm with you there, I've never gotten that either. I always cringe when I have to witness those things. Good thing I'm blind, at least I don't have to see the totally mortified look on the face of the poor girl in question,"_ Auggie chuckled shaking his head. They both laughed.

* * *

><p><em>"Jill, can I ask you something?"<em> Annie said, a bit tentatively, as Jill pulled out of the parking lot at Safeway and headed back to the house, the car filled with purchases for tomorrow night's party.

_"Sure Annie, what is it?"_ Jill had a feeling what it might be.

_"What was Auggie like before he lost his sight? Was he very different?"_

_"I guess in some ways he was different, he was more reckless, took risks all the time. Even if he was a 'geek' as he puts it, he certainly didn't fit the profile of a stereotypical geek. Won the State Wrestling Championship twice, in his Junior and Senior year of High School and the State Cross Country Championship his senior year. He was Captain of the wrestling and cross-country teams his senior year. He was on the cross-country team at MIT too, but there he was more in to his studies, I think he did it mostly for the exercise. He's still pretty much the same person, he hasn't changed that much. He's a bit more withdrawn, keeps things closer to the vest and isn't as confident as he was before. He's more self-conscious. I see a change in him since he met you though, he's much more like the 'old' August than he has been in years."_ Jill finished.

_"What happened when he was in rehab? He told me a very abridged version of it a while back, but I have a feeling it's more to the story than what he told me. I just don't get why he's separated himself from his family for this long."_

_"Matt knows more about that than anyone, he was with August from he arrived at Walter Reed, but I'll tell you what I know. From what I understand August was very upset about what happened to him, which I completely understand, and had a hard time facing the fact that he was actually permanently blind. He was in denial for quite a while, resisted what the trainers at the rehab facility tried to teach him."_

_"He told me that, he said that Matt woke him up one day, gave him a 'speech' or something,"_ Annie cut in.

"_I don't know exactly what happened, at that point the rest of the family had no idea that August had been injured, let alone that he was back in the US. He'd called us to let us know that he'd be unable to contact us for a few weeks and as much as I hated it I'd gotten used to it, he was in Special Forces and it happened from time to time, and I tried to not think much about it. It was a shock when my baby boy called out of the blue and told me he was back in the US, blind."_ Jill swallowed the lump building in her throat and carried on_. "Andrew was going to DC for a work function and we'd decided to spend the weekend in DC and spend some time with Matt, he lived there back then. He convinced August that it was time to let the rest of the family in on what had happened and persuaded him to spend the weekend with us. The visit was certainly different than I thought it would be, it was the first time we saw August since the explosion. I remember him standing in the doorway at Matt's apartment, looking as fit and healthy as ever. Then I saw the cane and noticed his slightly unfocused gaze. It broke my heart and I have to admit I still find it hard to see him with the cane."_

Annie touched Jill's arm compassionately. _"I'm sorry, I can't imagine how hard it was for all of you."_

_"Anyway, I spent a lot of time that weekend trying to persuade August to transfer to the Hines VA hospital and finish his rehab there, to be close to his family and then move back here with us. I just didn't see how he'd be able to live on his own; I think I was more scared than him at that point, after all he'd had a few weeks to process it all, we were just finding out. At that point he was so determined to gain back as much independence as possible and whatever he could of his old life. He was very set on staying in DC. He finished his rehab a few weeks before Christmas and I tried again to get him to come home and stay with us, but he got angry and told me to back off. He refused any assistance, wanted to be left alone, to figure things out on his own. Then he came home for Christmas. It was the first time his three oldest brothers and their families met him after he lost his sight. They had no idea how to act around him, August didn't give them any pointers and it was extremely awkward and I think that if Matt hadn't been here August would have been on the first possible plane back to DC. He stayed away after that, came here for Matt's wedding two years ago and stayed away until Labor Day this year. I'm glad he's finally realized that staying away doesn't make things less awkward."_

_"He can be pretty damn stubborn and pig headed,"_ Annie stated.

_"He is, and most of the time I think it's actually a good thing. I doubt he'd be where he is today if he wasn't a bit stubborn. Sometimes it works against him though,"_ Jill said with a small laugh. "Anyway, can I ask you something?"

_"Of course," _Annie answered, feeling a bit apprehensive, wondering what Jill was about to ask her.

_"Do you ever consider August a burden? Have second thoughts about being with a disabled man?"_

_"What? No, not at all. I've known Auggie for almost two and a half years and I've never even thought about him that way. He made it very easy to see the man behind the cane. Most of the time I don't even think about the fact that he's blind, he's so independent and capable. The small things he needs help with is becoming second nature, it's something I just do without thinking about it most of the time. I think my mother put it well; it's a good thing that he's comfortable enough with his disability to accept some assistance to make his life easier."_

_"You really love him, don't you?"_ Jill asked softly.

_"Yes, I love him more than I've ever loved anyone before. Please, believe me when I say I'm in this for the long run. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone other than Auggie."_

_"I believe you. I'm just a bit protective, August is my baby and with his circumstances… I'm sorry Annie, I can see the looks of love in your eyes, I just had to ask."_

_"I understand, I would probably have done the same,"_ Annie said with a smile.

Jill pulled into the driveway of the Anderson house and soon she and Annie was busy with lugging the groceries from the car.

* * *

><p>When Auggie returned to the house that afternoon he found his mother and Annie in the kitchen, preparing for tomorrow night's New Years Eve party. Auggie couldn't help smiling, his mother's parties were legendary in Glencoe and she was always well prepared.<p>

_"Hey you!"_ Annie greeted him as he entered the kitchen.

_"Hey you too!"_ Auggie replied with a smile. _"What are you guys up to?"_

_"Just some prep work for tomorrow, you know I don't like to leave things to the last minute August,"_ his mother replied from where she was standing by the stove.

_"I guess I'll leave you to it, unless there's something you want me to do?"_

_"I've got it under control,"_ she answered.

_"Just let me know if you need any help Mom, being blind doesn't stop me from doing most things. I'm not helpless and I hope you realize that."_ Auggie's tone was clipped and Annie could sense that he was getting a bit defensive.

_"August, I'll ask if I need something, I'm fully aware that you're a very capable person,"_ Jill said firmly_. "If you absolutely insist on doing something we have about 15 pounds of potatoes that need to be peeled. I was planning on having Mary doing it tomorrow, but if you insist I'll get it set up for you."_

_"Sorry Mom,"_ Auggie said a bit sheepishly. He didn't know what had come over him. Nerves probably, he felt the box in his jeans pocket. He hoped his mother wasn't planning on keeping Annie for too long, he really wanted get the proposal over with. _"How long do you plan on keeping Annie busy?"_

_"As I said, I've got it under control. I don't need more help at the moment."_

_"Ok then, Annie, I'd like to have a word with you in private,"_ he said as he held his free hand out in her direction. He heard her coming and soon she grabbed his hand and they headed upstairs for their bedroom. Jill was pretty sure what was going on and smiled as they left the room.

* * *

><p>Auggie led her upstairs and to their bedroom without a word.<p>

_"What's going on Auggie?"_ Annie wondered what he wanted to speak with her about; he seemed tense and nervous. Then he pulled the small, turquoise box out of his pocket and kneeled in front of her without letting go of her hand. Annie let out a gasp _"Auggie…"_

_"Annie, I know we haven't been going out for that long, but I've had feelings for you for so long now and I know that you're the one person I want to spend the rest of my life with. For the first time since I lost my sight I feel alive again, I'm living, not just existing. I love you with all of my heart and I want to grow old with you. Will you marry me?"_ His face beamed with love, but his nerves were evident. Annie squeezed his hand.

_"Yes Auggie, I'll marry you. I love you more than you could ever imagine and I want to share my life with you too."_

_"Good thing I booked the honeymoon suite in Paris then," _he said with a smirk as he slipped the ring onto the third finger on Annie's left hand. His nerves were gone and his confidence was back to normal. Annie gasped again as she saw the size of the diamond.

_"Auggie, are you out of your mind? This ring must have cost a fortune."_

Auggie got to his feet and kissed Annie, after a long, passionate kiss he spoke.

_"Only the best for you,"_ he said with big smile. _"As I told Matt earlier today I only plan on buying one engagement ring in my lifetime and it's this one. The only other ring I plan on buying is your wedding band."_

Annie pulled him in for another kiss, a kiss that quickly escalated into passionate lovemaking.

* * *

><p>About an hour later they headed downstairs. They were going to dinner at Steven's place later a little later, but right now Auggie was all excited about announcing his and Annie's engagement. They found Jill and Andrew in the family room, watching the 6 o'clock news on TV. They instantly noticed that both Annie and Auggie were practically beaming with joy and the ring on Annie's left hand caught their attention.<p>

_"I take it you have some news?"_ Andrew asked with a wide smile on his face.

_"Yes Dad, may I introduce my fiancée Annie Walker?"_ Auggie said with a grin that almost went all the way to the back of his head.

Soon they were both hugged and congratulated by Auggie's parents. They seemed over the moon with happiness with their engagement and Andrew pulled out a bottle of champagne to celebrate.


	20. Back to DC

**Here it is - the end of 'Roommates'. It's kind of sad, but I feel like this is a natural place to end the story. A follow up will be written sometime in the future. Thanks for taking part in this journey and for all of the wonderful reviews, PMs, alerts and favorites. :o)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Covert Affairs.**

* * *

><p><strong><span>-Chapter 20: Back to DC-<span>**

In the early afternoon, Sunday January 2nd 2011 Annie and Auggie arrived back at Reagan National Airport in Washington DC. After they'd picked up their bags they made their way outside and located the car service vehicle Auggie had hired to take them to the Brooks' house in Georgetown. Originally it had been just to pick up Annie's car that had been parked there for the little over a week they'd been in Glencoe, but now it was also to share the news of their engagement and to say hi to Annie's parents who were staying a few extra days. Annie was about to burst and she'd pulled out all of her CIA training to refrain from calling her only sister to share the news. Auggie insisted they should tell in person, not over the phone.

They stepped out of the car service car in front of the Brooks' house; Auggie unfolded his cane and waited for Annie to join him. He listened as Annie and the driver transferred their luggage to the trunk of Annie's car.

_"Ready for this?"_ she asked him as she came up on his left side and brushed her hand against his. He surprised her by offering her his elbow instead of grasping her elbow like he usually did. She looped her arm into his and they headed slowly towards the door.

_"Yep,"_ he stated, trying to sound confident. As much as he was aware that Annie's parents didn't seem to have a problem with their daughter dating a blind guy, he was a little apprehensive. Marrying him, committing to spending the rest of her life with him was a different story than dating and no matter how open minded and warm the Walkers seemed there was a little bit of doubt lingering in the back of Auggie's mind.

_"Don't worry Aug, they'll be just as ecstatic as your parents,"_ Annie said, patting his arm. _"Six steps up."_ They ascended the stairs and Annie pushed the doorbell. Soon after the door opened.

_"Annie, Auggie! So good to see you both! You're just in time for a little afternoon snack!"_ Danielle greeted them. They entered the house and after taking off their coats and shoes they entered the living room.

_"Auggie, great to see you again!"_ Auggie recognized the voice of Annie's father and stuck out his hand in his general direction. He was rewarded with a firm handshake.

_"Good to see you too Mr. Walker."_ He received a similar greeting from Mrs. Walker. They both seemed genuinely happy to see him again; it calmed his nerves a bit. As she greeted her parents, Danielle and Michael Annie was surprised that no one noticed the big diamond on her finger. Not even her usually very perceptive nieces noticed.

_"Guys, Auggie and I have some news,"_ she said, they were standing by the fireplace, Michael, Danielle, James, Louise and the girls were scattered around the room. She simply couldn't restrain herself any longer. She had to get it out. _"Auggie asked me to marry him a couple of days ago and I said yes."_ She stuck her left hand out to show off the ring.

Auggie heard gasps around the room and footsteps coming toward them and he felt Annie let go of his hand.

_"That's the best news I've had for a long time,"_ Louise Walker said as she hugged her daughter, then she approached Auggie. _"Welcome to the family Auggie."_ She pulled him in for a hug.

_"Thanks Mrs. Walker,"_ was all he managed to say.

_"And I'm Louise, Auggie. I'm about to be your mother-in-law, drop the formal greeting."_ She said with a smile as she let go of Auggie, giving his hand a final squeeze.

_"I second what my wife just said son,"_ James Walker said as he approached Auggie and patted him on the shoulder. _"And please call me Jim."_

_"Wow Auggie, that ring is amazing,"_ Danielle gushed.

_". 5 Carat, classic Tiffany setting on a white gold band. At least that's what I paid for; I'm not the hardest guy to fool am I?"_ Auggie replied with a smirk.

"Don't worry Auggie, you got what you paid for," Danielle said as she hugged him.

Auggie grinned like a Cheshire cat; he was beaming with happiness and pride. _"As I told Annie when she thought the ring was a bit over the top; I only intend to buy one engagement ring in my lifetime…" _he was cut off by the sound of small footsteps approaching and little hands tugging on his.

_"Mr. Auggie, does that men that we can call you Uncle Auggie now?"_ Chloe asked shyly, looking up at him. Auggie squatted down to face her and Katia.

_"Yes, you may call me Uncle Auggie. Now, what do you think about being flower girls in our wedding?"_ He was rewarded with excited squeals and little arms wrapping around him. He also felt Annie punching him not so lightly on the shoulder. It didn't feel like her normal friendly punches, he had a feeling it was more her version of shooting him a dirty look. When he managed to untangle the small arms around him he stood back up and turned in Annie's direction. He quickly located her hand and took it, and whispered _"Hey, what was that for?"_

_"We'll talk about it later, not now, 'kay?"_ Her tone told Auggie he should back down; it also told him that she was upset about something.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later they managed to excuse themselves and were in Annie's car heading back to their place.<p>

_"So, what was the punching about?"_ Auggie asked. Annie seemed tense.

_"We haven't discussed __anything__ regarding our wedding yet, and you just go ahead and promise my nieces they can be flower girls. What the hell is that about?"_ Her voice was angry, she actually sounded downright pissed off.

_"I'm sorry, it just came out of my mouth, I didn't really think. What's the big deal anyway? They'll end up being the flower girls, my nieces are all a bit old for that part."_

_"So you're just assuming we're having a big church wedding with a bazillion guests? Is that what you really want? I assumed you were more the small and simple wedding kind of guy. We can't afford a huge wedding Augs."_

_"I didn't assume anything. We don't have to have a huge wedding. Even if we do a small ceremony with just family and a few friends the girls can be flower girls, right? Now, we haven't really discussed this yet, and to be honest I feel that this is a really bad time. We're both tired."_ Auggie hoped he could calm Annie down, he really felt it was a bad time to have this discussion, they were both pretty exhausted and they would just end up saying things they both regretted. Knowing Annie's temper he knew he might be fighting a loosing battle.

_"You're right Auggie, we should discuss this when we're both rested."_ Annie said as she located a parking space half a block down from the street door of their apartment building and expertly parallel parked. She was too tired to argue as well.

_"Good. Now let's get inside and just relax for the rest of the evening,"_ Auggie said with a sigh of relief. _"We'll have to face Joan in the morning and tell her the news."_ He had to admit being nervous about that.

_"Well, she gave us the green light on being together. Do you think she'll have a problem with us being engaged? Married?"_ Annie was all of a sudden worried.

_"Not really, as I told you on your first day; the Agency encourages inter-agency dating. Joan and Arthur are married, he's her boss; it hasn't been a problem. The only thing as that she __might__ assign you to a different handler, but I doubt it as long as we manage to stay professional on the job. So far we've done a good job at that and I hope that rock on your finger won't change that, right?"_

_"I hope so too. Now, let's get inside," _Annie said as she got out of the car.

########################

Ten minutes later they entered the apartment. They'd managed to bring everything in one haul, with Annie carrying her tote bag, the duffle with their presents and pulling her suitcase. Auggie managed his suitcase and messenger bag and used his cane instead of Annie leading him. He knew his neighborhood like the back of his hand and the sidewalk was clear of ice, so it wasn't a problem.

_"Home sweet home,"_ Auggie said with a smile as he folded his cane and put that and his keys on the table beside the door. As much as he'd enjoyed spending time in Glencoe, it felt good to be back in DC. That it was just he and Annie again.

* * *

><p>The next morning Annie and Auggie rode in silence to Langley. Although they both were fairly confident that Joan would approve of their new relationship status they were both nervous. Auggie couldn't help reliving the memories from when he tried to get his relationship with Natasha approved, although he knew it was a very different scenario that really couldn't be compared to his relationship with Annie his mind was racing. The consequences of his relationship with Tash were something he was reminded of every single day. Deep down he knew that the relationship was already failing before the CIA told him to cut of all contact with her, they were too different, had very different goals and ambitions and it would never have worked in the long run. Still, the slap in the face when he was forced to cut her out of his life entirely had caused him to accept the assignment in Iraq and had ultimately lost him his sight.<p>

Annie noticed that Auggie was tense, his face was sullen and his eyes lacked their usual spark. His toying with his cane was another tell tale sign that Auggie was anxious or upset about something.

_"What's the matter Aug?"_ she asked softly.

_"Just nervous about telling Joan. Even though I'm pretty sure it'll be fine I can't help thinking about the last time I asked for approval of a relationship. Didn't exactly go to well…"_ His voice trailed off at the end of the sentence and he let out a heavy sigh.

_"Auggie, if you're referring to Tash; she was a Russian anarchist, I'm a CIA officer. See the difference?"_ Annie asked, giving Auggie's left arm a squeeze.

Auggie let out a soft chuckle. _"I guess there's a difference, huh?"_

####################

They went straight to Joan's office, the door was ajar and she didn't appear to be very busy. Annie knocked on the doorjamb.

_"Yes?"_ Joan looked up from the file she was reading.

_"May we have a word?"_ Annie asked tentatively.

_"Sure, come on in."_

Annie led Auggie into the office and when Joan motioned for them to sit she put his hand on the back of one of the chairs in front of Joan's desk. They both sat down.

_"What can I do for you?"_ Joan asked.

_"We have some news…"_ Auggie started, before he could finish his sentence Joan cut him off.

_"I take it has something to do with that rather big diamond on Annie's left hand?"_ she said with a smile. Auggie could hear the smile in her voice.

_"Yes, Auggie asked me to marry him and I said yes," _Annie spoke up.

_"Congratulations to both of you. I've seen it coming for a while. Have you made any plans for the wedding?"_

_"Uh..no, we haven't gotten there yet"_ Annie replied_. "Joan, will this change anything?"_

_"Not at this point. I approved of your relationship and you're good at being professional at work, so I'll leave things as they are for now."_

_"Thanks Joan,"_ Auggie said. The tension was gone from his face, he was smiling and his eyes were sparkling again. The thought that he was getting married to Annie – with the blessing of his family, her family and the Agency made him possibly the happiest man alive. Now he had a wedding to plan.


End file.
